The causes of violent deaths in Azuay are mainly associated with illegal mining. The province has four conflictive points in Ponce Enríquez, Sígsig, Pucará and the Molleturo parish (Cuenca).
“Is there anybody out there?”
For those of you who have read my column for a few years or more (hard to believe I’ve been writing it for over 6 years), you know how I used to feel about all the anger and hatred spewed out in response to some of the things I wrote. The threats, the crazy comments […]
Ecuadorian car buyers moving away from sedans and into SUVs
Sedan-type vehicles are losing market share to SUVs offering more room and models.
The outlook for Ecuador’s exports in 2023
Free trade agreements and the economic recovery after the pandemic are some of the factors that will influence foreign trade this year.
Seven benefits for women in the new ‘Violet Economy’ Law
The regulations, which are already in force, promote equal pay between men and women in companies and shared maternity leave.
“The radar contract in Cuenca should be cancelled due to the falsehood of the experience”
The president of the Supervisory Commission of the Cantonal Council spoke about the inconsistencies detected by assembly members in the contract signed for the implementation of electronic radar devices in Cuenca.
How China Targets the Global Fish Supply
With its own coastal waters depleted, China has built a global fishing operation unmatched by any other country.
Foot-long dwarf boa found in Ecuadorian Amazon
Scientists have identified a tiny new species of dwarf boa living in the Ecuadorian Amazon that even a snake hater could love: these small reptiles are just a foot long. Alex Bentley, research coordinator of the Sumak Kawsay field station, in the eastern foothills of...
Government fails to stop illegal mining in Napo or Imbabura
Despite the operations, illegal mining is taking hold in La Merced de Buenos Aires (Imbabura) and in three cantons of Napo.
Service animals will be allowed on public transport under new requirements
The ANT issued a regulation on the requirements for pets and other assistance animals to travel with their owners on public transport. One of the obligations is that they have an identification collar.
Air passenger traffic grows in Quito after the pandemic
Roughly 4.3 million passengers were transported on national and international flights through Quito’s Mariscal Sucre Airport in 2022.
Head of IESS Special Commission: ‘If we wait two or three years, we will be facing the precipice’
The head of the Special Commission tasked with proposing reforms to the IESS pension system discusses the needed contributions of the State, affiliates and employers. The time to make the reforms required to give sustainability to the pension system of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) is running out. This according to Augusto de la […]
Lasso decrees reductions of VAT, ICE and ISD taxes
What changes were decreed by the President and how will they be applied? This year will bring reductions for some taxes in Ecuador. On the night of January 10, 2023, President Guillermo Lasso announced that the Value Added Tax (VAT) will be reduced on three holidays,...
Minister of Finance talks bonds for the Galapagos, tax reductions and the IMF and Petroecuador
The Minister of Finance, Pablo Arosemena, confirmed that the State will issue blue bonds in 2023. The operation will allow the expansion of the Galapagos marine reserve. According to the Minister of Finance, Pablo Arosemena, the Government will follow thru this year on its promise to issue blue bonds to finance the expansion of the […]
Remittances from abroad contribute more to Ecuador’s economy than tourism
Remittances are a liquidity option for Ecuadorian households, which use these resources to pay for basic services. The remittances that Ecuador receives from citizens working abroad totaled $4.468 billion in 2022, according to the forecast of the World Bank. This represents 3.87% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This figure is higher than tourism, which […]
Birth of sea turtles increases 30% on Manabí beach
Update to: More than 9,000 olive ridley sea turtles born in Esmeraldas Published: Volume 5, Issue 16 Park rangers from a refuge in Manabí reported the birth of 11,580 sea turtles of the “olive ridley” and “green” species on the beach of San Lorenzo. The Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment announced that it has detected […]
Seven Ecuadorians trying to illegally enter the US have disappeared in Mexico
The young people left for the United States in mid-2022 and their families have not heard from them. They paid ransoms to alleged kidnappers. Among the dangers faced by Ecuadorian emigrants on their journey to the United States are various criminal groups operating in...
Thankfully, the three colors are nice
On our drive back from Cuenca this week, it became clear to my wife and I that elections were coming up in February. Not because we read about them. Or because we knew when elections occur (like we do in the US). It was because of all the posters, banners, signs and other advertising that […]
Three major Azuay highway projects planned for 2023
State planning for this year includes the rehabilitation of two roads that connect Azuay with the country, and a public-private alliance that is being sought to build a new Cuenca-Guayaquil highway. Authorities and unions of Azuay hope that at least three of the road projects that are pending in the province will be completed this […]
Two Ecuadorian researchers participate in worldwide study on the impact of grazing on the environment
Carlos Espinosa and Elizabeth Gusmán were part of a team of hundreds of researchers that determined the negative impact of grazing in drylands. The results of the study were published in the journal Science. For the first time, hundreds of scientists evaluated the impact of grazing in arid and semi-arid areas of the planet. Two […]
Violent start to the year in the provinces that are on the ‘drug route’
In the first 10 days of the year, there were 162 violent deaths in Ecuador, of which 80% were registered in just five provinces on the Coast. Firearms were involved in 86% of the cases. The year began with an alarming increase in violent deaths in Ecuador and,...
Rains remove risk of blackouts, but dry season has not been overcome
Update to: Cuenca experiences unusual weather and prolonged drought Published: Volume 7, Issue 14 With the recent rains, the scenario improved, but the dry season has not yet been overcome. The plan to recover thermoelectric plants continues. There is a recovery of rains in the eastern basin of Ecuador, which has made it possible to […]
Assembly reforms the prison system and creates sanctions for detainees
The reform includes the creation of a disciplinary regime, which establishes offenses and sanctions for inmates who commit offenses. It also modifies the criminal types of extortion, intimidation, robbery and others. The legal reforms on security finally made it out of the Assembly. The legislators approved the so-called Comprehensive Security Law in a second debate, […]
Brother, can you spare $8.5 million?
I love NFL football. Love it. I watch as many games as I can during the season. And I’m constantly amazed at how athletic the players are now. Without fail, in almost every game, someone makes a play that even the game announcers can’t believe. Case in point, last night pay-by-play commentator Chris Collinsworth—who himself […]
Cuenca doubles the land allocated for industrial use
The Cuenca Cantonal Council approved a new Land Use and Management plan, in which new spaces for the industry are identified. At the beginning of 2023, Cuenca will have a total of 341 hectares of industrial land, almost double that of 10 years ago, when the Territorial Planning plan registered 163 hectares for industry and […]
Growth of Ecuadorian economy expected to be minimal in 2023
Economists and multilaterals predict growth rates between 2% and 3%. In recent years, the Ecuadorian economy has experienced low growth. In 2023, that trend will continue. International and national organizations estimate that the growth of the Ecuadorian economy in 2023 will be between 2 and 3%. However, these projections could change depending on what happens in the coming months — as happened in […]
Government calculates that there will be 80,000 police officers on duty by 2024
At the end of the most violent year in Ecuador’s history, Juan Zapata, Minister of the Interior, analyzes the causes of the security crisis. In 2022, Ecuador closed with around 25 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. According to Juan Zapata, Minister of the Interior, most of these homicides were registered in the provinces “that are on […]
Household consumption reaches historical record, according to the ECB
According to the Central Bank, household consumption represents about 65% of Ecuador's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Ecuador grew 3.2% in the third quarter of 2022, mainly due to an increase in household consumption. Family spending...
Government promises five trade agreements and less taxes in 2023
The Government plans to reduce taxes on Foreign Currency Outflow (ISD) and Special Consumption (ICE) to boost the economy. Negotiating five trade agreements and reducing taxes for the productive sector are some of the primary goals that the Government has set for itself in 2023. Ecuador has already closed the negotiations of two such treaties. […]
Pacific Alliance no longer Ecuador’s primary trade objective
To enter the Pacific Alliance as a full member, Ecuador needs a treaty with Mexico, a goal that has been complicated by the lack of consensus on the entry of shrimp and bananas. After the negotiations of the trade agreement between Ecuador and Mexico reached a point...