Another day, another bloody riot in the Ecuador prison system. This time the scenario played out early Monday morning at the Bellavista Rehabilitation Center in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas prison. The Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed 44 inmates died in the riot that began at 12:30 a.m. Monday. From Israel, where he arrived for an […]

During the first four months of 2022, at the national level, more than 85 tons of drugs have been seized nationwide in Ecuador: double what was registered last year. More than half of the seized substances were already in the containers, about to leave for North American and European ports. In the balance of 2021, […]

In danger of extinction, the marsupial frog returns to Quito Of five species of frogs that once existed in the Ecuadorian capital, three no longer exist. Approximately 200 marsupial frog tadpoles were reintroduced into protected areas in Quito’s Bicentennial Park, where the old airport used to be, in the north of Quito. On Saturday morning […]

In a recent interview, the Police Commander of Zone 8, Víctor Zárate also questioned why the Police should guard people under house arrest instead of patrolling the streets. General Víctor Zárate, Commander of Zone 8, made up of Guayaquil, Durán and Samborondón, says that the Police are wasting resources in guarding people under house arrest, […]

The so-called ‘cockroach effect’ adds to the mutation of the hegemonic gangs that seek to become cartels. In the middle of everything is the operation of microtraffickers, who compete for space. The Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo, says that all the linked acts of violence, especially in Guayaquil, as well as the strengthening, in […]

Wow, I saw a draft of this week’s edition of The Cuenca Dispatch, and it seems like it could be called the “Annual Crime Edition.” But I guess as stuff happens, it has to be written. And this week, the gangs seemed to have jumped to the front pages. And there wasn’t even a story […]

Over the years, the Cuenca prison ceased to be regional and became national. From the model with which it was conceived, it has become a prison that houses ringleaders and high-risk prisoners who come from all over the country. That prison has not been exempted from gang disputes and inmate murders, a worrying situation in a […]

Most resignations occurred in April 2022. In its first eleven months, President Guillermo Lasso’s government has had nine ministers and secretaries resign. At least 5 of those were in April 2022, a few weeks before President Lasso celebrates a year (on May 24th) in office. Mae Montaño, Minister of Economic and Social Inclusion The first Minister to go, […]

“It’s déjà vu all over again.” Yogi Berra said that. He said a lot of “Yogi-isms” over the years. Like, “You can observe a lot by watching.” Or “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” He was one heck of a ball player and certainly a character. And I got to meet him once. I […]

 According to Lasso, the two want to “destabilize Ecuadorian democracy.” “Mr. [Rafael] Correa and Mr. [Jaime] Nebot together, these twins from the first day of my government are seeing how they destabilize Ecuadorian democracy,” said President Guillermo Lasso. According to him, former President Rafael Correa and former Mayor of Guayaquil, Jaime Nebot, —two of the most important […]

Vice minister Vera replaces Juan Carlos Bermeo who only lasted 11 months in the role. Xavier Vera Grunauer is a civil engineer from Guayaquil. He was the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines until Thursday, when President Guillermo Lasso installed him as head of that ministry, replacing Juan Carlos Bermeo Calderón. Bermeo, who had held the position since June 2021, […]

The measure includes a curfew in certain parishes and special operations by the Police and the Armed Forces Making international news, President Guillermo Lasso announced that there will be a 60-day state of emergency in Guayas, Manabí and Esmeraldas. The objective of the state of exception, Lasso said, is to try to combat the criminal gangs that dominate those provinces. Lasso made […]

Lawyer Pedro Moreira only lasted five months as judge of the Guayaquil Penitentiary Guarantees Unit. The plenary session of the Judicial Council decided to dismiss the now former judge Moreira on Monday, April 25, 2022. It did so after Moreira used a controversial ‘habeas corpus’ ruling to grant house arrest to Junior Roldán Paredes, alias JR, one of the leaders […]

President Guillermo Lasso, said this Sunday that he will not allow the siege of criminal gangs that have generated a wave of insecurity in the country, aided by judges who, according to him, have abused their hierarchy to favor criminals. “I will not allow Ecuador to become a State besieged by drug gangs aided by […]

Belgium has granted political asylum to former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who has an executed sentence of eight years in prison for the crime of bribery in the Bribery case—which he maintains is an act of judicial persecution. The former president’s Belgian lawyer, Christophe Marchand, confirmed the news on April 22, 2022, the same day it was learned that […]

A diesel spill is being controlled in Galapagos. Around 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2022, a diving boat sank in Academia Bay, on Santa Cruz Island — the most populated island in the insular province. The boat’s sinking caused a diesel spill in the area where the accident occurred. According to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, personnel […]

It’s early summer here. The locals call it rainy season, but to me, it’s early summer. The mornings are crisp and cool, and the birds wake early at 6:00 a.m. to start their day. I tend to lounge in longer than that, though their tweets (the original tweet) get louder quickly and demand that I […]

The market share of the Ecuadorian-assembled automotive industry has fallen significantly since 2015. Vehicle sales in Ecuador’s first quarter of 2022 registered a growth of 21.6%, compared to the same period in 2021, according to data revealed by the Association of Automotive Companies of Ecuador (Aeade). The car business is growing significantly in the country, amid a greater […]

Today I was talking to my friend Wayne. We were both remarking on how much easier our lives are here than in the US and expressing shock at how expensive everything has gotten there. It’s easier to see your glass as half-full when you go back there. For lots of reasons. But certainly lately because […]

President Alberto Fernández spoke of resuming diplomatic relations with Venezuela while President Guillermo Lasso indicated that his government ‘will analyze the issue.’ Venezuela was one of the high points of an interesting meeting between the presidents of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso and Alberto Fernandez, from Argentina. After the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, both leaders […]

Assemblywoman Johanna Moreira said that this was “the way we are going to continue the fight” for victims of sexual violence. The Justice Commission of the National Assembly will present a claim of unconstitutionality against the law of interruption of pregnancy in cases of rape when it is published in the Official Registry. This bill entered into force by the […]

Scientists from the University of Miami found Gasteranthus extinctus in the Centinela mountain range A team of researchers from the University of Miami visited Ecuador in search of a tropical plant that had been thought to be extinct for nearly 40 years, Gasteranthus extinctus. Biology professor Kenneth Feeley encouraged graduate student Riley Fortier to join an […]

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States has indicated that it will no longer enforce the use of masks in public transport and transportation centers after a court ruling ordered by a Florida judge. The requirement to wear masks within public transport applied to planes, trains and other means of transport due to […]

The alleged irregular payments were revealed by the Spanish media outlet El Confidencial. A Spanish consortium allegedly paid bribes of at least $1.2 million to Ecuadorian officials to secure a consultancy contract for the construction of the Quito Metro. This was revealed last week by an investigation published in the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial. The Spanish Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office “has […]

During the operation, four people linked to container import companies from Ecuador were arrested and a total of 3,500 kilos of cocaine, 250,000 euros in cash and seven high-end vehicles were seized. Last week agents of Spain’s National Police, in a joint operation with Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, dismantled a criminal organization dedicated […]

I’ve been sick for the last 6 days. I had been in Denver for a week and then travelled to Florida to visit my mother before I returned to Ecuador. I started feeling sick the day after I got here. Out of caution I’ve taken 4 at-home Covid tests and they have all been negative. […]

Pastaza province, located in Ecuador’s Amazon, has implemented a $52 million sustainable development plan working with Indigenous nations that includes their ancestral practices, knowledge, and life plans. The plan relies on curtailing dependence on oil and mining projects for economic development and implementing chakras, an ancestral agroforestry system, and conservation projects to boost food security […]

The country has belonged to the body on three previous occasions, in 1950, 1960 and 1991, as part of the non-permanent members without veto power. Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín traveled to the United States to, and in addition to discussing issues of the bilateral relationship, promoted Ecuador’s candidacy for the United Nations Security Council, […]

After having overcome the worst part of the pandemic, the United States Embassy in Ecuador announced that as of April 4th, people who want to renew their US nonimmigrant visa —B1 (business) and B2 (tourism)— will no longer have to attend a face-to-face interview. This is the same procedure that applied before 2021 will be resumed. […]

I was out with a group of guys last night in Denver. I used to get together with all of them every Tuesday for “Tuesgerday.” Tuesgerday was a special at a local pub where we got a half-pound burger and pint of beer for $6.00. Of course, that price wouldn’t float today. But that restaurant […]

The Minister of Government referred to a possible referendum as Plan B of the Executive. Jiménez also confirmed the departure of the Undersecretary of Governance, Juan Manuel Fuertes. Two red lines that could strain the dialogue between the Executive and the National Assembly have been drawn by the new Minister of Government, Francisco Jiménez. During […]

Nicovita, a brand of Vitapro, which in 2021 has already invested $35 million in expanding its production and storage capacity in Ecuador. With an investment of more than $80 million for this year, Nicovita, a brand of the Vitapro company, announced the construction of a new shrimp feed plant that will expand its production capacity by more than 45%. This […]

The investigation into his murder began 3 months after his body was found. On December 19, 2021, Nange Yeti Nimonca, a grandfather and Pikenani —sage— of the Waorani nationality, disappeared while on patrol in the community of Wawampare in the Amazonian province of Pastaza, near the Curaray River. His lifeless body was found two days later, on December […]

After a period of calm during the first quarter of 2022, in which no brutal murders or clashes in the country’s prisons were recorded, in the early morning of April 3rd, that tense calm ended. Around 1:30 in the morning, in prison No. 1, better known as the Turi prison, shooting was heard, according to the residents […]

Last week, with only 46 votes in favor, the plenary session of the National Assembly failed to approve the Investment bill—a pillar of President Guillermo Lasso’s efforts to bring large foreign investments to Ecuador—and the project was ‘shelved.’ After the vote, Pachakutik assemblyman Salvador Quishpe moved to reconsider the vote, but it did not reach enough […]

The company had been enthusiastic about the possible approval of the investment law, but despite the shelving of it indicated that it still has an interest. La Pampa Energía, an Argentine company that has played a leading role in the energy sector in its own country, is analyzing potential investments in Ecuador. Although in initial discussions […]

I spent most of yesterday flying back to Denver for medical appointments. That’s been a norm for me over the last year. But things are good and much improved over 2021. The trip meant several connections, even though I wasn’t going for the cheapest route. Simply the way it worked out. And while I wasn’t […]

Right now, from March 28th to April 1st, government representatives from 33 countries and members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are meeting in Quito for the 37th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to define the path to follow to combat hunger and malnutrition […]

Acorbanec expects to close this first week with 480,000 clusters purchased and continue with the measure for seven more weeks. The banana export sector began this week buying from producers a part of the banana that could not be exported to the Russian and Ukrainian markets due to the war. The measure is a consensus between […]

Company’s manager says oil and gas partnerships will help increase yield. Through three megaprojects, two oil and one gas, Petroecuador hopes to double its hydrocarbon production by 2026 to 804,323 barrels per day. That was one of the announcements made Monday morning by Ítalo Cedeño, the manager of Petroecuador, during the rendering of accounts on the activities carried […]

Mauricio Alarcón Salvador discusses the possible solutions to the political crisis that the Assembly is going through, the relationship with the President and the risks of ‘cross death.’ The National Assembly is going through one of its worst institutional crises in recent times, so much so that—once again—the possibility of ‘cross death’ (where the President […]

The positivity rate in virus detection tests is currently 9%, in January of this year the figure was 62%. Last Friday, the country said goodbye to mobility and capacity restrictions within a new scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic in which, according to the President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, Ecuador is ready to “take a […]

Ecuador’s avocado export increase with large markets in Spain and Asia. In Ecuador, avocado is grown on 1,750 hectares nationwide, corresponding to 70 producers, distributed in 16 provinces. More than 600 tons of this non-traditional product were exported in approximately 100 shipments in 2021. The Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad) says that last year’s exports increased […]

Russian and Ukraine sales accounted for 25% of Ecuador’s banana exports. Banana exporters and producers jointly outlined new strategies to cushion the impact on the fruit that is no longer being exported to Russia and Ukraine due to the war (last week more than 1 million boxes of bananas were held back from delivery to […]

Every day, four of our eight dogs go for a walk in the valley. They have been doing this since we took them in from the streets. We tried to train them to stay on the property. We’ve even fenced it off. And they constantly found a way out. So, we gave into their nature […]

International flights now only arrive at Quito and Guayaquil. Improving Ecuador’s international connectivity, so that it becomes a hub, is one of the objectives of the air sector, says Peter Cerdá, Regional Vice President for the Americas of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). To do this, airlines are seeking to have international flights arrive […]

This week I wanted to write “Assassinate Putin!” 500 times and just have that be my column. But then I read today that Facebook and Twitter are shutting down accounts that say anything about suggesting such a thing. Not that The Cuenca Dispatch is either of those media outlets. But I guess since they are […]

Almost eight thousand tortoises that exist today in San Cristóbal might not be Chelonoidis chathamensis, but rather a new species that has never been described by science. A new species of giant tortoise was discovered on San Cristóbal Island, in the Galapagos. Until now, they were believed to be individuals of the species Chelonoidis chathamensis. However, a group of scientists from the […]

It includes rules for public-private partnerships and the creation of free zones.  The National Assembly scheduled the first debate on the Investment Law project for yesterday afternoon, March 13, 2022. The bill is of an urgent economic nature, so the Assembly has only 30 days to approve it or file it. If they do not treat it […]

In 2021, the arrival of remittances to Ecuador broke historical records for two consecutive quarters. Although this money helps the economy of the Austro cantons, part of it feeds mafias of human traffickers and informal moneylenders. According to data from the Central Bank, between January and September 2021, Ecuador received remittances for $3.152 billion, exceeding […]

Zamora, Mexico, with almost 197 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, was the most violent city in the world last year, and the eight most violent cities are all in Mexico. Guayaquil comes in as the 50th most dangerous city. For the fifth consecutive year, a Mexican city is the most violent in the world. In 2021, […]