“A message sent from my new adventure. I couldn’t let your Birthday Day go by without sending you a message. Enjoy your day – Be Safe Go Well, Mabubu from beyond!! Enjoy the game tomorrow, I can still hear you shouting :)” This was the text message I received from my...
Prosecutor’s Office, National Court, and Assembly at odds with Police and Minister of Government over transfer of police officers
Two sides have differing opinions on legality and propriety of transfer of police officers assigned to the Attorney General’s Office. The controversy between the Government and the Attorney General’s Office continues. On Saturday, February 11, 2023, the Ministry of...
New Guayaquil mayor says the city doesn’t have the money to pay its debts
The newly elected mayor of Guayaquil says that there is less money in the city accounts then needed to pay past debts. He also warned that contractors and vendors should not believe people claiming to be operating on his behalf. The mayor-elect of Guayaquil, Aquiles Álvarez, is concerned about the financial situation of the Municipality, […]
Sanitary requirements may be the stumbling blocks in new trade agreements
The executive president of the National Chamber of Aquaculture, José Antonio Camposano, comments on the prospects of the shrimp sector for 2023. The shrimp sector is especially interested in the trade agreement that is being negotiated with South Korea, a country to which they currently pay a 20% tariff. The statistics of the Central Bank […]
SRI going after landlords and digital platforms like Airbnb
Update to: Briones says ‘SRI will tighten control of personal income tax’ Published: Volume 6, Issue 52 The Internal Revenue Service (SRI) is following thru on its objective of making digital platform businesses in Ecuador pay taxes. In the case of Airbnb, it has just required the platforms ‘affiliates’ to hand over their tax information. […]
The ripple effect of the EU’s ban on Russian fuel imports will mean a hit to Ecuador’s general budget
An increase in the price of diesel fuel due to the new sanctions of the European Union against Russia will impact Ecuador, which imports 76% of the diesel it uses. The decision of the European Union (EU) to ban the import of Russian diesel has economic implications...
Ecuador lets Alias “Gato’ be arrested in Colombia so he can be extradited to the US
‘Gato’ wove a web of drug trafficking throughout Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and Europe. Wilder Emilio Sánchez Farfán, alias ‘Gato,’ was arrested in Pasto, Colombia. Simultaneously, several related raids were carried out in Ecuador. Here, police raided several properties where ‘Gato’ resided from time to time. In one of these raids, in a property in Samborondón, […]
Cuenca turns on controversial traffic radar systems
Update to: “The radar contract in Cuenca should be cancelled due to the falsehood of the experience” Published: Volume 7, Issue 16 The mayor-elect, Cristian Zamora, announced that his first action when he takes office will be to terminate the contract that allows the placement of new radars in Cuenca. However, on the night of […]
Think your vote doesn’t count? Nine mayoral contests across Ecuador were decided by 80 votes or less
The election results in nine cantons were extremely close. In Colimes for example, the winner took the mayor’s office with only four votes more than his opponent. Nine cantons in the country reported the closest results in the 2023 sectional elections, with less than...
Avianca will begin offering New Quito-New York route in June 2023
Update to: Air passenger traffic grows in Quito after the pandemic Published: Volume 7, Issue 16 Starting June 1st, the Colombian airline Avianca will operate a new international route in Ecuador: Quito-New York. The flights will operate five times a week. From Quito, the flights will depart on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While, […]
Two investment banks warn of Ecuador’s debt problems in a post-Lasso scenario
Investment banks JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley warned that the results of the sectional voting weakened the government of Guillermo Lasso. The results of the sectional elections in Ecuador and the 2023 referendum are fueling fears in international markets of an early end of the Guillermo Lasso mandate. Two US investment banks, JP Morgan and […]