There is a theme running through this week’s Cuenca Dispatch, and it is not exactly subtle. Ecuador is trying to modernize, stabilize, digitize, securitize, flexibilize and subsidize itself all at the same time, while standing knee-deep in floodwater and checking whether the lights are still on. That is not entirely a criticism. It is more […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.

Legal ratio improved in 2025, but total state commitments still point to deeper fiscal strain ahead. Ecuador ended 2025 with its official public debt ratio moving in the right direction, at least under the formula required by law. The country’s consolidated public debt reached $65.54 billion, equal to 49% of Gross Domestic Product, according to […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.

New investment plan comes as fresh research again rejects claims that 5G poses a health threat. Claro’s parent company, América Móvil, says it will invest $600 million in Ecuador over the next three years, a move aimed at expanding network capacity, improving coverage and accelerating the country’s transition to 5G service. The announcement was made […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.

New labor agreement allows longer daily shifts while preserving weekly limits and night work surcharges. Ecuador’s new labor rules allowing employees to work as many as 10 hours a day without exceeding the 40-hour weekly limit are now in effect, setting off a national debate over how the change will work in practice and whether […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.

New investigative unit will target trafficking, terrorism financing, and organized crime operating across Ecuador’s borders. Ecuador will soon host a permanent FBI office in Quito under a new bilateral agreement with the United States aimed at strengthening investigations into organized crime, terrorism-related activity, and cross-border criminal networks. The accord was formalized Wednesday, March 11th, 2026, […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.

With deadlines approaching, key movements are fighting for control, survival and a viable path to the ballot. With less than six months left before candidacies must be registered for Ecuador’s February 2027 local elections, several political organizations are entering the campaign cycle weakened by legal uncertainty, leadership fights and unresolved internal fractures rather than by […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.

Government proposal would let companies offset part of their income tax by donating social housing. Ecuador’s government has sent the National Assembly a bill that would allow companies to reduce part of their Income Tax burden by donating social housing for vulnerable families, opening a new path for private-sector participation in addressing one of the […] To access this post, you must purchase The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Monthly or The Cuenca Dispatch Subscription – Annual.