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Rising amortizations, short maturities, and bond repayments force the government to juggle refinancing, credibility, and fiscal survival. Ecuador is heading into one of its most demanding fiscal years in recent memory, with public debt payments scheduled for 2026 climbing sharply and compressing the government’s room to maneuver. According to official budget projections, total debt...
Projections point to record non-oil exports, deeper trade ties, and a tourism sector gaining economic weight. Ecuador’s economic strategy for the next two years leans heavily on a single premise: that a diversified export base and a stronger tourism industry can provide stability in a volatile global environment. Government projections suggest that non-oil exports...
Arrest of Venezuela’s leader triggers regional rhetoric, accusations of foreign meddling and an escalating war of words at home. The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces and his transfer to New York has sent shockwaves far beyond Caracas, reopening deep political divisions in Ecuador and turning an already volatile regional moment...
Opposition to mining, institutional clashes, financial shock and strained public services defined the city’s most turbulent year.
Government launches inter-institutional body to move from planning to potential nuclear power within a decade.
Government cites intelligence analysis while border communities warn of economic and humanitarian fallout.
Report outlines alleged financial harm, disputed termination decisions, and unresolved questions over road safety and public resources
Detection in El Oro triggers emergency measures as authorities race to contain a fungus that has crippled plantations worldwide. Ecuador’s banana industry, the backbone of one of the country’s most important export sectors, entered emergency mode this week after authorities confirmed the presence of Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) on a banana farm in...
Temporary deployment deepens security cooperation after referendum defeat, testing limits of Ecuador’s agreements with Washington
Criminal networks exploit gold boom, weak oversight and rural poverty to finance violence and corrupt state institutions. Illegal gold mining has evolved into one of the most lucrative and destabilizing criminal economies in Ecuador, with armed groups carving out territorial control across multiple provinces and generating hundreds of thousands of dollars a day to...
Lower gasoline costs bring short-term relief, while diesel adjustments reveal the state’s shifting role in energy pricing. Ecuadorian drivers are seeing modest relief at the pump this December, though the changes underscore how fragmented the country’s fuel pricing system has become. While low-octane gasoline prices have fallen, diesel remains partially subsidized, and premium fuels...
Rising disbursements push the country higher among IMF debtors while repayment pressures build toward 2026. Ecuador’s relationship with the International Monetary Fund has entered a new phase, marked by larger disbursements, higher repayment obligations and a growing presence among the Fund’s biggest borrowers worldwide. With a fresh tranche expected before the end of 2025,...
Recent votes in the Assembly reveal cracks in the ruling bloc’s once-solid control. After the setback The political aftershocks from the failed November 16th referendum are now shaking the National Assembly. National Democratic Action (ADN), the governing bloc that once moved confidently through the legislative agenda, is showing signs of vulnerability. Three recent votes...
Audit sparks legal threats and deepens tension between local government and oversight officials. Investigators from the State Comptroller General’s Office say they uncovered irregularities in multiple contracting processes in Cuenca’s municipality — including the high-priced armored SUV purchased to protect Mayor Cristian Zamora. What began as a technical review has now erupted into a...
Financial strain, stalled projects and political promises collide in a sector already vulnerable to blackouts. For years, Ecuadorians have paid electricity rates that cover only part of what it actually costs to keep the lights on. That quiet imbalance — tucked behind subsidies and political caution — is now widening into a crisis that...
President presses ahead with amendments as political tensions deepen after referendum loss. A president searching for momentum after defeat President Daniel Noboa reemerged publicly nearly two weeks after his referendum loss, conceding that the results hit his administration harder than expected. Speaking alongside former Quito mayor Jorge Yunda in a carefully staged conversation at...
Lawmakers clash over debt, social sector funding and investment as a narrow majority backs the plan. A budget passed amid political friction Ecuador’s National Assembly approved the 2026 General State Budget on Saturday afternoon, ending weeks of negotiation and public pressure surrounding one of the defining fiscal documents of Daniel Noboa’s administration. After three...
Nearly 240,000 hectares were deforested in Ecuador during those years, according to a MapBiomas report. During this period, the rate of loss of natural cover increased in the country, which is causing concern among experts. Mining, livestock farming, selective logging, road construction, and monocultures promote deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Deforestation is putting increasing...
An unannounced agenda and mid-trip Cabinet changes fuel uncertainty around the president’s latest visit. A trip with no public explanation President Daniel Noboa returned to Ecuador early Friday after a three-day visit to the United States that unfolded without a single public appearance, agenda, or official explanation. The Presidency had announced only that he...
Analysts say stronger repayment expectations contrast with ongoing political and governance risks. A ratings shift with cautious optimism Ecuador received a rare piece of positive financial news this week as Fitch Ratings upgraded the country’s long-term foreign-currency debt score from CCC+ to B-. The change signals a modest improvement in how the market views...
New protection works aim to stop the riverbed collapse threatening Ecuador’s largest hydroelectric plant. Erosion advances faster than expected The government has ordered the construction of a second protective dam on the Coca River as rapid regressive erosion continues moving upstream toward the intake works of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, the country’s...
Government adjusts fuel pricing formulas as domestic gas becomes the costliest subsidy. A dramatic drop in diesel spending Ecuador’s fuel subsidy structure will undergo one of the sharpest shifts in recent memory in 2026, with the Ministry of Economy and Finance projecting diesel support to fall from roughly $1.2 billion to just $191 million....
Rising interest obligations tighten fiscal space as the country faces mounting financial pressures. Debt payments overtake security spending Ecuador will enter 2026 with a financial burden that reshapes its national priorities: the country will spend more on servicing debt interest than on safeguarding its population. According to the budget proposal sent to the National...
New data reveal dramatic one-year glacial losses tied to drought and expanding agricultural land. Alarming new evidence from national land-use study Ecuador’s glaciers have experienced their sharpest recorded decline in four decades, with more than 1,069 hectares disappearing between 2023 and 2024. The finding comes from the third edition of a long-running land-monitoring project...
Wow. When I started The Cuenca Dispatch a little over nine years ago, I never imagined we’d still be reporting Ecuador’s news all these years later. And yet, here we are—Volume 10, Issue 1. If you’ve been in Cuenca a long time, you may remember those first few months when the paper was called...
Major hospitals and clinics lead a $35 million wave of healthcare development across the city.
President says frozen accounts revealed plots to use protest funds for destabilization and political gain.
Indigenous leaders call for resistance while the ruling party floods social media with lavish pro-government ads.
Initiative offers low-interest loans, tax relief, and a $1,000 bonus for small businesses in regions most affected by recent highway blockades. Following a turbulent month of nationwide protests that crippled transportation and commerce in several key provinces, Ecuador is shifting from a posture of conflict to one of reconstruction. The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities...
While national headlines on security and politics cause concern, Cuenca’s property market remains a resilient and affordable haven for expats. Here’s what you need to know in 2025. For years, Cuenca has consistently ranked among the top destinations in the world for expatriates and retirees, and its real estate market is a primary driver...