Analysts say stronger repayment expectations contrast with ongoing political and governance risks. A ratings shift with cautious optimism Ecuador received a rare piece of positive financial news this week as Fitch Ratings upgraded the country’s long-term...
Company expands its focus beyond barges as global demand tightens access to generation equipment. A growing role amid persistent energy uncertainty Karpowership, the Turkish company operating floating thermal power plants on the Guayas River, is preparing a broader, long-term expansion in Ecuador’s electricity sector. While its three barge-mounted plants already supply 300 megawatts to the […]
Government outlines conditions for police and military action as legal challenges advance in court. Implementation Begins Despite Court Challenges Four months after Ecuador enacted its new Protected Areas Law, the government has moved ahead with detailed regulations that define how the legislation will function on the ground—even as the Constitutional Court weighs multiple claims of […]
European and Ecuadorian investigators describe a criminal structure that bribed officials, infiltrated ports and moved more than 10 tons of cocaine. A criminal empire revealed in court The trial of Serbian national Jezdimir Srdan, known as “Brate,” has exposed one of the most elaborate cocaine-trafficking operations uncovered in Ecuador. Prosecutors say the organization linked Balkan […]
Talks advance but major export sectors still face higher costs entering the American market. Negotiations stall on full tariff relief Ecuador is still fighting to eliminate the 15% U.S. tariff surcharge that has weighed on its exports since earlier this year, even as Washington recently removed the extra charge for a limited group of agricultural […]
Most households face chronic shortfalls as low savings, heavy borrowing and limited financial skills deepen insecurity. A country living on the edge A new national financial assessment paints a stark picture of Ecuador’s household economy: most families simply cannot make it from one month to the next without falling behind. According to the findings, six […]
New protection works aim to stop the riverbed collapse threatening Ecuador’s largest hydroelectric plant. Erosion advances faster than expected The government has ordered the construction of a second protective dam on the Coca River as rapid regressive erosion...
New levy raises concerns as migration routes shift and dependence on foreign income deepens. Record flows from the United States Money sent home by Ecuadorians living abroad continues to surge, and the United States remains by far the largest source. In the first half of 2025 alone, transfers from Ecuadorians in the U.S. reached $2.8382 […]
Government adjusts fuel pricing formulas as domestic gas becomes the costliest subsidy. A dramatic drop in diesel spending Ecuador’s fuel subsidy structure will undergo one of the sharpest shifts in recent memory in 2026, with the Ministry of Economy and Finance...
Rising interest obligations tighten fiscal space as the country faces mounting financial pressures. Debt payments overtake security spending Ecuador will enter 2026 with a financial burden that reshapes its national priorities: the country will spend more on servicing...
Witness video captures chaotic arrest as immigration agents clash with bystanders and family members on a busy Fitchburg street. Chaotic stop escalates into panic A routine morning commute in Fitchburg turned into a scene of confusion and panic as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers surrounded a vehicle carrying an Ecuadorian couple and their young […]
A new standalone app expands Amazon’s low-cost marketplace into Ecuador, intensifying competition with Shein and Temu. A new player enters Ecuador’s booming discount-shopping market Amazon has intensified the battle for ultra-low-cost e-commerce dominance in Ecuador with the launch of Amazon Bazaar, a standalone app designed to replicate the explosive popularity of platforms like Shein and […]
New data reveal dramatic one-year glacial losses tied to drought and expanding agricultural land. Alarming new evidence from national land-use study Ecuador’s glaciers have experienced their sharpest recorded decline in four decades, with more than 1,069 hectares...
Company outlines major infrastructure upgrades, 5G rollout and brand transition to reach millions of new users. A major investment push to transform connectivity Millicom, the multinational behind the Tigo brand, is preparing a sweeping expansion plan in Ecuador following its acquisition of Movistar and its subsidiary operations. Over the next five years, the company intends […]
Warnings grow as stalled projects, missed deadlines and rising demand deepen the country’s energy vulnerability. A deficit that didn’t disappear with the rain Even after a year of abundant rainfall that pushed back the threat of blackouts, Ecuador’s electrical system remains far from secure. The national operator Cenace says the country urgently needs 866.5 megawatts […]
Coordinated strikes target remote corridors where criminal groups profit from Ecuador’s mineral wealth. Escalation of high-impact operations Ecuador’s Armed Forces have launched one of the most aggressive crackdowns on illegal mining in recent years, executing more than 30 coordinated operations across Amazonian and border provinces. In regions such as Imbabura, Napo, Morona Santiago, Carchi, Sucumbíos, […]
Government looks to global markets and multilaterals to fill growing fiscal gap while managing rising debt costs A widening deficit and heavier obligations Ecuador is preparing to return to international bond markets in 2026 with a plan to place $3 billion in new debt, a move designed to help cover a mounting fiscal gap and […]
Immigrant families express both optimism and anxiety as New York embraces its youngest mayor in a century. A new political chapter opened in New York City with Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected mayoral victory, a result that has stirred hope, caution, and a swirl of debate among Ecuadorian immigrants who call the city home. A morning full […]
Police struggle to track stolen cars as cloning schemes expand across major cities. A surge in thefts centered in the two largest cities Vehicle theft in Ecuador’s two largest metropolitan areas has taken on a new dimension this year, with authorities reporting more than 3,500 cases between January and September in Guayaquil and Quito alone. […]
Interior minister John Reimberg outlines a tougher approach as the government targets criminal networks and illegal mining.
After acquiring Movistar, Millicom bets on Ecuador’s digital future with ambitious expansion and modernization plans.
Wow. When I started The Cuenca Dispatch a little over nine years ago, I never imagined we’d still be reporting Ecuador’s news all these years later. And yet, here we are—Volume 10, Issue 1. If you’ve been in Cuenca a long time, you may remember those first few months...
Social fatigue, fractured leadership, and control of the narrative helped prevent national paralysis
Military offensives in Azuay coincide with government claims that soaring gold prices have made illegal mining nearly as lucrative as narcotics.
Major hospitals and clinics lead a $35 million wave of healthcare development across the city.
President says frozen accounts revealed plots to use protest funds for destabilization and political gain.
Joint maritime operations expose growing drug networks stretching from Manabí to the Galápagos.
Indigenous leaders call for resistance while the ruling party floods social media with lavish pro-government ads.
Drug traffickers have built a violent alliance with sea pirates in Peruvian and Ecuadorian ports. The criminals extort the fishermen, rob them when they don’t pay, and even force them to transport drugs across the ocean. In Ecuador, 45 fishermen were killed in 2024, and in Peru, 24 died violently at the hands of pirates. […]
Government rescues thousands of animals and seizes thousands more in nationwide operations.