Foreign direct investment shows growth, but underlying challenges persist in key sectors. Ecuador's foreign direct investment (FDI) experienced a notable recovery in the first quarter of 2025, totaling $127.5 million. This represents a 17% increase compared to the...
The government pushes for a fast-track solution to secure additional power for the upcoming dry season. The government of Daniel Noboa is advancing a critical energy leasing project as Ecuador prepares for the dry season beginning in September 2025. The state-owned...
Efforts to preserve the heart of Cuenca’s heritage push forward despite challenges with materials and humidity damage The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located in Cuenca’s city center, is a monumental symbol for the region—its towering domes and stunning...
Internal divisions deepen as expulsion, defections, and discrediting threaten the movement’s future. The past week has been one of the most challenging in the history of Ecuador’s Citizen Revolution, the opposition movement once led by former President Rafael Correa. The group’s internal turmoil has reached new depths, as expulsions, defections, and leadership failures continue to […]
Interior Minister links extortion centers to organized crime operations across multiple cities. The Ministry of the Interior has escalated its crackdown on Ecuador’s transit agencies, with Manta and Durán now labeled as “protection and extortion centers.” Minister John Reimberg, speaking on July 11, 2025, revealed that several transit agencies across the country are suspected of […]
New mining tax hikes may hinder exploration and delay critical projects, including some of the largest copper and gold initiatives. Ecuador is bracing for the impact of new mining taxes set to take effect by July 31, 2025, a move that is sparking significant concern among large-scale mining companies. These tax hikes are poised to […]
Ecuadorian gang’s push into Peruvian Amazon sparks alarm over illegal mining, territorial control, and corruption. The criminal gang Los Choneros, led by the notorious José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as ‘Fito’, has extended its operations into Peru, raising fears of growing lawlessness in the Amazon region. The gang, heavily involved in illicit mining, has […]
President’s veto clarifies measures for political organization dissolution, cross-election timelines, and electoral poll regulations. President Daniel Noboa’s partial veto on the electoral reforms, issued on July 9th, introduces key changes that aim to tighten regulations around political parties and alliances in Ecuador. The veto adjusts 15 articles of the bill approved by the National Assembly, […]
Severe erosion forces suspension of key oil pipelines, causing widespread economic fallout in Ecuador’s oil industry. Petroecuador’s oil production has sharply declined following the suspension of the country’s primary oil pipelines due to the advancing erosion of the Coca River. As of July 12, 2025, the state-run company reported a drastic reduction in output, with […]
This week in Cuenca, two very different kinds of restoration are underway. One is tangible, hopeful, and necessary—the full-scale renovation of the New Cathedral, from its cracked stones to its hidden structural faults. The other is more abstract but promising: the ongoing disintegration of Correísmo under the banner of the Citizen’s Revolution. One effort is […]
New initiative launched to secure exports and address organized crime’s impact on the country’s trade reputation. The battle against organized crime’s encroachment on Ecuador’s exports has expanded into the nation’s critical port terminals. On July 10, 2025, the launch of the “Safe Cargo” initiative was announced in Guayaquil, marking the beginning of a comprehensive strategy […]