In this article
Table of Contents
2
3
More from this issue
Bananas, cocoa, flowers and selected minerals are exempt while shrimp and other goods remain covered. Ecuador’s most important agricultural exports have largely escaped a new United States tariff program, but shrimp, canned tuna, broccoli and several manufactured products will continue entering the country with an additional 10% charge. The measure took effect July 24th under […]
Ecuador races to reinforce power supply before Amazon drought tests the national grid
Thermal rentals, aging-plant repairs and regional negotiations form the government’s defense against renewed electricity shortages. Ecuador is assembling a costly mix of rented generators, repaired state-owned equipment and possible electricity imports as authorities prepare for the annual decline in rainfall around the country’s largest hydroelectric plants. The government’s most immediate measure is a group of […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.
El Niño threat sends new price signals through Ecuador’s export markets
Climate risks are reshaping global supplies as cocoa, coffee, bananas and rice face growing volatility. Ecuador’s exporters are entering a period of unusual uncertainty as the expected arrival of El Niño begins to influence international commodity markets long before its strongest weather effects are felt. The activation of an orange alert for the climate phenomenon […]
Canada trade pact promises broader market access while raising investment questions
Nearly all Ecuadorian exports would gain tariff-free entry, but ratification could postpone implementation until 2027. Ecuadorian exporters are preparing for expanded access to one of the world’s wealthier consumer markets after Ecuador and Canada signed a free trade agreement intended to remove tariffs, establish investment protections and strengthen commercial ties between the two countries. Production, […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.
Oil windfall gives Ecuador’s government an unexpected fiscal boost
Higher crude prices are improving liquidity, reducing arrears and easing borrowing pressure while creating new budget risks. Ecuador’s government has collected nearly as much oil revenue during the first seven months of 2026 as it received throughout all of last year, providing an unexpected infusion of cash at a time when the country continues to […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.
Rice trucks return to Colombia as exporters seek to recover lost ground
New import permits reopen Ecuador’s largest foreign rice market after months of disrupted border trade. Ecuadorian rice is beginning to move toward Colombia again after import permits were issued to Colombian buyers, reopening a vital overland market that had been effectively closed for nearly five months. The first permits were released late last week, allowing […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.
Supporters gather in Cuenca as suspended mayor faces slow health recovery
Relatives, municipal officials and political allies attended a crowded service while details of Zamora’s illness remained private. Dozens of people gathered at one of Cuenca’s best-known churches to pray for the recovery of suspended Mayor Cristian Zamora, whose health has reportedly deteriorated since returning from a trip outside Ecuador. The Mass was held Thursday, July […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.
Suspended movements force candidates to search for new paths to the ballot
Electoral officials explain how stranded candidates can change organizations before registration opens in August. Candidates left without a political organization following the suspensions of the Citizen Revolution and Amigo movements may still reach the ballot in Ecuador’s coming local elections, provided their previous registrations are removed from the National Electoral Council’s computer system. The clarification […]
El Oro overtakes traditional crime hotspots as homicides surge across southern coast
Published on July 27, 2026

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn National killings declined in early 2026, but violence intensified sharply around Machala, ports and the Peruvian border. Ecuador recorded fewer homicides during the first half of 2026, extending a national decline from the unprecedented levels reached a year earlier. But the improvement was uneven, with El Oro moving in the opposite […]

0 Comments