The majority report of the Communication Law contemplates issues such as incentives for the strengthening of the media. The majority report for the second debate on the Communication Law was approved in March 2022 and was due to be voted on the morning of July...
Cost of basic basket has highest increase in history as country faces effect of national strike
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), the cost of the basic family basket, made up of 75 products, reached $751.04 in June 2022. The annual increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 4.23% in June, compared to the same period...
Constitutional Court suspends parts of abortion law that it says may violate girls’ rights
They will be suspended until the Court resolves a claim of unconstitutionality against these articles. The Constitutional Court suspended the validity of three articles of the Organic Law that Regulates the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy in cases of rape. The law entered into force on April 29, 2022, after the partial veto of President Guillermo Lasso was approved by the […]
Ecuadorian Amazon has lost 379,000 hectares of forest to human activity in less than four decades
Between 1985 and 2020, the Amazon basin lost thousands of hectares of forest equivalent to the size of Bolívar province. The Amazon is ancient, it has giant trees like the red Angelim, and others submerged in the water of the Cuyabeno River. It is also home to otters, dolphins, and other impressive mammals such as […]
Instead of rehabilitation centers Penitentiary Commission finds a corrupted prison system
The Penitentiary Dialogue Commission finished its work, made recommendations and left the task of pacifying the prisons to the SNAI. “We do not have rehabilitation centers, but rather prisons that become true schools of crime.” That is one of the main conclusions of...
The past catches up
Over the last week I read that two of my favorite actors passed away, Tony Sirico (best known for his roles in GoodFellas and The Sopranos) and James Caan (best known for his roles in The Godfather movies and Misery, but I loved him in Freebie and the Bean and Rollerball). What’s odd is that […]
Lasso changes draft Law that Regulates Use of Force but ignores Conaie’s objections
The Legislature has 30 days to accept or ratify the partial veto. The Sovereignty and Comprehensive Security Commission will meet this Saturday to deal with it. On Thursday, July 7, 2022, President Guillermo Lasso made 21 objections to the draft Organic Law that Regulates the Legitimate Use of Force, approved by the National Assembly on June 7th, in […]
National COE says Covid-19 is on the rise, recommends wearing masks in closed spaces
In hospitals and medical centers, the use of the mask will continue to be mandatory. Months after wearing a mask ceased to be mandatory in Ecuador, the National COE once again recommended its use, particularly in closed spaces. On the morning of July 7, 2022, the National Emergency Operations Committee (COE) met to discuss the epidemiological situation. At the meeting, in […]
Political and social hurdles caused foreign direct investment to fall 45% in the first quarter of 2022
The country registered a smaller influx of foreign capital for construction, transportation, storage, and mining and quarrying activities. So far this year, the Government has been unable to achieve its goal of attracting capital from abroad. This is evidenced by the fact that foreign direct investment (FDI) reached $138 million in the first quarter of […]