A reshuffled progressive coalition adds another layer of uncertainty to an already crowded local election field. Cuenca’s race for mayor took a new turn after Azuay Prefect Juan Cristóbal Lloret emerged as the candidate of an alliance between the Ecuadorian Socialist...
Ideological alignment could cool trade tensions and deepen cooperation on security, migration and investment. Ecuador’s decision to remove a punishing surcharge on Colombian imports was more than a reversal of trade policy. It signaled that President Daniel Noboa...
Years of neglect have left the justice system racing against deadlines, vacancies and organized crime. The decision to assign as many as 200 police officers to Ecuador’s courts has made visible a crisis that extends far beyond courthouse doors. Judges, prosecutors and...
Lawmakers seek human rights guarantees before military funding and joint security operations can continue. Democratic lawmakers are seeking new human rights conditions on U.S. defense cooperation with Ecuador, widening Washington’s debate over military assistance, counter-narcotics operations and accountability for foreign security forces that receive American support overseas. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Greg Casar […]
A rejected residency case shows why genuine marriages still require strong evidence and careful interview preparation. The denial arrived after Fernando had built a life that, to him, seemed impossible to mistake for a marriage of convenience. He had married a U.S. citizen and applied for permanent residency six months after their wedding. Yet U.S. […]
Major medical investment promises new jobs, advanced care and expanded specialist services across southern Ecuador. A private hospital development has entered the construction phase in Cuenca, bringing plans for expanded specialty care, advanced medical technology and as many as 1,200 direct jobs. Hospital Santa Inés and the Vintimilla Group broke ground Tuesday, July 7th, on […]
Authorities are examining cash-heavy transactions, municipal contracts and companies linked to Darío Macas and his family. A rapid fall from City Hall Machala Mayor Darío Macas has been sent to the Cotopaxi prison while prosecutors investigate allegations that he and his wife accumulated approximately $6 million in unjustified wealth during his years in office. Macas, […]
Officials urge victims to report threats promptly, follow investigators’ guidance and avoid making payments to criminals. Ecuadorian security authorities are urging people who receive extortion demands to contact police rather than confront the threat alone, as emergency records show a sharp rise in reports so far in 2026. From January 1st through July 8th, the […]
Tariff cuts and stronger exports are reshaping one of the country’s fastest-growing commercial relationships. Annual trade between Ecuador and China is expected to pass $20 billion as their free-trade agreement moves through its third year, extending a sharp rise in Ecuadorian exports and further narrowing a commercial imbalance that once favored Chinese goods. Gao Zhenting, […]