Project presented by two senators seeks to make Ecuador eligible as a beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Law. The United States and Ecuador have been strengthening their diplomatic and economic ties over the past few months. Recently, two US Senators...
Builders have discovered a new market among Ecuadorians and foreigners seeking housing in the center of Cuenca. The price of housing units varies from $1,000 to $2,000 per square meter. Real estate developers are finding a new market among Ecuadorians and foreigners...
The recent events in Ecuador’s political scene have been nothing short of absurd. The National Assembly has submitted an impeachment request against President Lasso, and the judge assigned to oversee the case is affiliated with the PSC, one of the groups opposing Lasso. She is even seen smiling in a photo of her receiving the […]
As social beings, we all yearn for that sense of connection, that feeling of camaraderie and shared experience. And when old friends come back into our lives, it’s like a fresh breeze on a hot summer day, reminding us of the relationships we’ve built and the memories we’ve shared. Recently, my wife and I had […]
Ecuador is an "eloquent example" of the threat posed by local criminal groups that collaborate with foreign drug traffickers. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC's report on the global cocaine market highlights the fragmentation and outsourcing of drug...
Final opinion of Ecuador Constitutional Court allowing impeachment of President Guillermo Lass to move to a political trial. The political trial for impeachment against Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso was ruled ‘admissible’ by the Constitutional Court of Ecuador on March 29, 2023. In their opinion, the Court excluded two charges of ‘concussion’ [racketeering] against the President. […]
Long considered an eyesore by local residents, the spheres will be moving for reasons other than aesthetics. Petroecuador, the state-owned oil company of Ecuador, is set to remove two large steel spheres, each weighing 3,200 tons, from the Challuabamba region in Cuenca due to structural problems that were not initially identified. The spheres contain liquefied […]
Update to: How to donate and help victims of the Balao earthquake Published: Volume 7, Issue 24 On March 18, 2023, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale caused damage to 35 heritage buildings in Cuenca, including churches, museums, and schools. The (New) La Inmaculada Cathedral was among the affected buildings. The Department of […]
Update to: Venezuelans have until August 14th to apply for Humanitarian Visa Published: Volume 4, Issue 40 President Guillermo Lasso signed an executive decree to open an amnesty process, similar to that for Venezuelans, but for migrants from other countries. The Government will open a new amnesty process for migrants. This time it will include […]
An investigation has revealed that the process from first symptoms to treatment takes an average of nine months, which is far longer than the ideal time frame of 30 to 90 days. The report, titled 'Perspectives: Oncology Patient Route', was developed by the Cantonal...
This contrasts with previous patterns where kidnappings were more prevalent in border provinces. Over the past two years, Ecuador has experienced a total of 63 reported cases of kidnappings, with 32 cases occurring in 2021 and 31 cases occurring in 2022. These...
President Lasso is facing a tough time in his tenure as the head of the country. Plummeting oil prices, the ongoing efforts to impeach him, drug-related murders, and now a big earthquake to deal with— it’s a daunting task for anyone to handle. So why would he even want to stay on as president? That’s […]
Okay, so let’s see if I have this right. The Ecuadorian National Assembly is now trying to impeach the President, again. For an alleged crime that his brother-in-law may or may not have been involved in. That’s the Encuentro case, for those of you who don’t know, which revolves around a supposed interaction Lasso’s brother-in-law […]
The 6.64 magnitude earthquake in Balao has left several families homeless and many people affected. As of March 20, 2023, there are 14 deaths, 446 injured, 19 people affected and 84 homes destroyed. In addition, there are damages to 180 homes, 80 educational units, 22...
The recent Agreement between the US and Ecuador for the exchange of tax information is now a law of the Republic. Ecuador and the United States (US) have enacted a new law allowing them to exchange information that is pertinent to the implementation and enforcement of their domestic tax laws. This agreement encompasses all federal […]
Femicide is a severe problem in Ecuador, as indicated by the shocking number of women who were murdered in 2022. The Alliance for the Monitoring of Femicides in Ecuador, an independent coalition of social organizations, reported that 332 femicides occurred in the country in 2022. This number is the highest since 2014 when femicide was […]
The government of Ecuador is seeking to attract some of the world’s largest mining companies to invest in the country, despite opposition from indigenous communities and the absence of an open mining cadastre. The mining cadastre (register of land boundaries and/or ownership), an essential tool for new requests for concessions, has been closed since 2018, […]
Cuenca aims to promote the widespread use of electric cars, bicycles, and scooters, as part of a massive electromobility project that will replace gasoline-powered buses and taxis. On January 9th, Cuenca launched the final stage of its electromobility plan, with the goal of having fewer polluting vehicles on the streets and reducing greenhouse gases by […]
There are 37 defendants on the list in the Sinohydro case, of whom six have drawn public attention for their suspected involvement in the scheme. The Sinohydro case is the latest corruption scandal in Ecuador, despite the alleged bribery occurring from 2010 to 2018. This comes after prosecutor Diana Salazar pressed charges against 37 individuals. […]
Ecuador is taking steps to produce green hydrogen, a clean and sustainable energy source that is produced using hydroelectric, solar photovoltaic, biomass, and wind. German company Linde, one of the world's largest gas production and engineering companies, has been...
Update to: Mexico modifies some requirements for Ecuadorian visas Published: Volume 7, Issue 14 Ecuadorians have surpassed Venezuelans as the largest group of illegal immigrants in Mexico, according to Mexican press reports. In January 2022, only 246 Ecuadorians were detained by Mexico’s National Institute of Migration (INM), but in January 2023, there were 5,808 captures, […]
Legislative Administration Council approves impeachment request against President Lasso and sends it to the Constitutional Court. The recent news regarding the impeachment of President Guillermo Lasso has taken a new turn as the Legislative Administration Council (CAL) approved, with five votes, sending the request for impeachment to the Constitutional Court. The decision was made on […]
Ecuador is currently facing the longest La Niña phenomenon in 120 years, with negative economic impacts on key sectors such as fishing and agriculture. La Niña is an atmospheric phenomenon characterized by a drop in sea surface temperature, and typically lasts between...
Due to issues such as high crime rates, excessive noise, and a surge in the number of restaurants and bars, residents of Quito are increasingly moving to the valleys. Over the last few years, the city of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, has witnessed a trend of high-income residents leaving their apartments in the urban […]
The Ministry of Economy and Finance in Ecuador has announced that in 2023 it will deliver a record figure of $3.228 billion to decentralized autonomous governments (GAD), which includes 221 municipalities, 23 prefectures and 821 parish councils. This figure is $174 million more than what was delivered in 2022 and is the largest budget allocation […]
UNES leads a four-party effort to impeach the President thru political prosecution on the grounds that he has failed to meet the requirements of office outlined in the Constitution. The Assembly is again seeking to remove President Guillermo Lasso from office. There...
Update to: Government imports banana plants resistant to the fungus Fusarium R4T Published: Volume 6, Issue 27 According to banana growers, the biosecurity measures taken against Fusarium can account for up to 20% of the cost of producing a box of fruit. Banana farms in Ecuador are spending between $0.08 and $0.13 per exported box […]
Prosecutor Diana Salazar has documented the movement of $76 million in bribes allegedly delivered by Sinohydro during the construction and financing of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant. The investigation is in its early stages, but the Sinohydro case appears...
The Municipal Tourism Foundation for Cuenca is actively promoting the city as an ideal destination for romantic activities, particularly destination weddings. With the campaign "Love Invades Cuenca," the Foundation seeks to work with the private sector to promote...
The unity behind the June 2022 Strike is Weakening. The unity among the social organizations that supported the last national strike is weakening, with each organization now having its own agenda and strategy to deal with the government. The only point of agreement they share is their opposition to President Guillermo Lasso, and their wish […]