Wow, a lot has sure happened in the week since my last column. And a lot more will happen before this week’s edition hits the newsstand. I’m talking about the coronavirus of course. Things are moving so fast that almost anything written today will be outdated by...

Officials in Ecuador are attempting to help a Canadian man in the Galápagos Islands who locals say has been seen wandering and behaving aggressively. On Friday, an official at the Canadian Embassy in Ecuador said they were aware of reports about a Canadian man on San Cristóbal Island, the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago. […]

The Government of the Galápagos Islands, an Ecuadorian archipelago considered a world heritage site, has activated a plan to prevent the arrival of the coronavirus to the islands without harming tourism. Norman Wray, head of the Galápagos Governing Council, confirmed the activation of a plan that will intensify controls inside and outside the islands. “We […]

The spread of the coronavirus throughout China (and the rest of the globe), has led to reductions in the export of Ecuadorian goods to the Chinese market. On Tuesday, the Government met with representatives of the productive, logistic and commercial sectors of the country to review the impact that this disease has on internal and […]

Ecuador’s dollar bonds have slumped as investors price in a higher probability of default following the crash in crude oil prices. The nation’s dollar bonds due 2028 fell 10.6 cents, to 47.6 cents on the dollar on Monday, sending the yield surging 4.3 percentage points to 22.3%. The extra yield investors demand to hold Ecuadorian […]

Ecuador’s Minister of Finance, Richard Martínez, said that with the economic measures that the Government has proposed, a positive impact of some $2.252 billion could be obtained. The greater amount has to do with the reduction of expenses in goods and services and capital goods that account for about $1.38 billion. At a press conference, the […]

An Argentinian who was missing for several days was found dead Tuesday night in a septic tank sealed with cement, at the home she was renting in Ballenita, a town in the province of Santa Elena, in eastern Ecuador. The preliminary autopsy report indicates that Gabriela Andrea Pedraza had multiple skull fractures and evidence that […]

In response to the increase in robberies being perpetrated by pairs of criminals on motorcycles, Guayaquil has instituted a new measure restricting motorcycle travel to one person during select hours of the evening and nighttime. To provide safety for its citizens, the National Police will focus its controls and increase patrols during the indicated hours, […]

Many of Cuenca’s residents know of Pumapungo museum and think they’ve seen everything it has to offer. Pumapungo is home to a world class collection of art, artifacts, and more than 20 displays that illustrate the variety of Ecuador’s geographic regions. But for many visitors, the main draw is the museum’s collection of shrunken heads […]

If you’re looking to raise your online presence or to bring more exposure to your business, there will be a “Social Media Strategy Workshop” held on March 21st and 22nd in Cuenca. The meeting will bring together experts in the management of the internet and online businesses. Brent Hoberman, creator of LasMinute.com, says that for […]

In 2019, the Regional Directorate of Labor carried out a total of 3,967 labor inspections in Cuenca and found that 90 percent of the companies inspected complied with their labor obligations, according to Xavier Bermúdez, Regional Director. Bermúdez explained that during labor inspections employees are interviewed first, before employers. “The objective is not to pursue, […]

A total of 18 officials from the Azuay Internal Revenue Service (SRi) toured various businesses in the Historic Center this week to remind taxpayers of their income tax declaration requirements. José Luis Vásquez, zonal director 6 of SRI, explained that during the operation, officials explained to citizens whose income exceeded $11,310 in fiscal year 2019, […]

What is known in Ecuador about the COVID-19 coronavirus?  Critics say only what the Ministry of Health makes known in daily reports on the number of cases and people in isolation, and the general state of the internees. There is no scientific research on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease. The criticism of the Ecuadorian […]

Ecuador is bracing itself for more protests after President Lenin Moreno announced a new austerity package including public-sector cuts. Speaking on national television on Tuesday evening, Moreno said that he will seek to improve debt payment terms and slash $1.4 billion from the government’s budget in response to the crash in oil prices and the […]