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Washington flags high-risk zones, urges emergency planning, and tells app users to verify who they meet. The United States has sharpened its warnings for Americans in Ecuador, painting a picture of a country where travel may still be possible in many areas but where the margin for error has narrowed considerably in others. In...
New SRI withholding rule trims earnings on policies and fixed term accounts opened for less than six months. Ecuadorians placing money in short-term deposit products at banks and cooperatives are now facing a slightly higher tax bite on their returns after the Internal Revenue Service introduced a new withholding rate that took effect at...
Imports, emergency repairs and rationed logistics are being used to keep key supplies moving nationwide. Ecuador’s fuel supply system is under mounting pressure after a fire at the Esmeraldas Refinery knocked out operations at the country’s largest refining complex, forcing Petroecuador to rely on emergency imports, logistical changes and a partial restart plan to...
Severe flooding and landslides disrupt daily life nationwide as authorities warn rains will persist into early March. Heavy winter rains have pushed Ecuador into a nationwide emergency response, with more than 19,000 people affected, widespread infrastructure damage, and eight provinces placed under a 90-day state of emergency as authorities scramble to contain flooding, landslides,...
Prosecutors allege a years-long scheme diverted subsidized diesel through shell companies, leaving the State with massive losses. Arrests and early court decisions An investigation into alleged money laundering and tax evasion linked to Ecuador’s fuel subsidy system escalated on February 10, 2026, with the arrest of Guayaquil mayor Aquiles Álvarez and ten other people....
President says new law curbs political patronage while redirecting municipal budgets toward public works and investment. President Daniel Noboa has stepped up his defense of a newly approved law regulating spending by local governments, arguing that years of unchecked hiring turned many municipal payrolls into political holding pens rather than engines of public service....
The death of a Mexican cartel leader raises questions about alliances, routes, and whether violence will shift or harden. The killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as alias “El Mencho,” during a Mexican federal operation on February 22nd has removed the central figure of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and jolted criminal networks well...
Legislation establishes prevention framework as specialists warn late diagnoses remain the country’s greatest cancer challenge. A long-awaited legal framework Ecuador’s National Assembly has approved the Organic Law for Comprehensive Cancer Care, a measure health experts say could mark a turning point in how the country confronts one of its leading causes of death. Passed...
Early geological signals in the Amazon coincide with a non-binding agreement reshaping investment, permits, and security rules. Early signs beneath the Amazon Geologists have identified preliminary indications of rare earth elements in Ecuador, placing the country—cautiously—on the radar of a global race for minerals critical to modern technology. A study released in September 2025...
Leaked accreditation guidelines ignite debate over press freedom, security, and prior censorship during Ecuador’s internal armed conflict.
An evangelical institution blends local classrooms with real-time digital learning, reaching Spanish-speaking students worldwide.
Agreement promises immediate tariff relief for half of Ecuador’s exports while deepening cooperation on trade rules and security.
Fear spreads across East Coast communities as enforcement intensifies where most Ecuadorians in the US live. New York and New Jersey, long considered places of refuge and opportunity for Ecuadorian migrants, have become the main focus of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, reshaping daily life in communities that make up the backbone of the...
Foreign ministries clash publicly even as both governments outline security, energy, and trade steps to defuse escalating dispute. Ecuador’s government has formally rejected Colombia’s decision to maintain a 30% tariff on Ecuadorian products, arguing that Bogotá is misplacing blame for a dispute that, according to Quito, stems from Colombia’s failure to control its own...
Opened as a symbol of order, the Santa Elena facility adopts extreme restrictions while drawing sharp criticism from rights advocates. Ecuador’s newest maximum-security prison on the Santa Elena coast has been presented by the government as a turning point in regaining control of a prison system long dominated by criminal groups. But what little...
Intercepted chats, raids and a leadership shakeup expose how routine vehicle procedures became a cash-driven operation. Raids that halted a national service Before dawn on January 30th, coordinated police and prosecutorial teams swept through offices and homes linked to Ecuador’s National Transit Agency, detaining senior officials and sealing buildings in Quito, Ibarra, Santo Domingo...
What heirs need to know about accessing deposits, handling debts, and avoiding legal limbo after a death. The death of a family member brings more than mourning and funeral arrangements. Almost immediately, relatives are faced with a practical question that can become emotionally and legally fraught: what happens to the deceased person’s bank accounts,...
Ana Cristina Alvarado A newborn leatherback turtle heads towards the sea. Photo: Courtesy of Fundación Contamos Contigo In early 2025, an Ecuadorian court banned sand mining and vehicular traffic on Bikini Beach in Manabí to protect the nesting sites of the leatherback turtle. One year after the precautionary measures, these illegal activities continue and the case...
Zapotillo’s annual yellow bloom passes its peak, closing a brief but vital season for nature and local economies. The greatest show in the southern dry forest is ending. The annual flowering of the Guayacanes in Zapotillo, a natural phenomenon that rivals the cherry blossoms of Japan, has passed its peak for 2026. If you...
Why Ecuador’s landmark EU investment agreement could reshape capital flows, energy security, and institutional reform. While roads crumbled and walls fell in the Sierra, a foundation was being poured in Brussels. On Friday, January 23, 2026, Ecuador achieved a diplomatic and economic milestone that could reshape the country’s future. The government officially concluded negotiations...
Relentless rains trigger landslides, sinkholes, and closures that isolate communities across Loja and neighboring Azuay. While the people of Vilcabamba fight for security, the geography of the entire Loja province is fighting a losing battle against the weather. The winter season of 2026 has arrived with a ferocity that has overwhelmed the region’s infrastructure,...
Rising reservoir levels have paused blackouts, but Ecuador’s power supply remains tightly bound to rainfall and vulnerable to renewed dry conditions. For the past three months, the most watched number in Ecuador hasn’t been the football score or the inflation rate—it has been the “cota” (water level) of the Mazar Reservoir. Located deep in...
Heightened military deployments and new security protocols are reshaping travel between Cuenca and Guayaquil amid Ecuador’s escalating internal conflict. For the Cuenca expat community, the road to Guayaquil is a lifeline—it’s the route to the international airport, the U.S. Consulate, and the major malls. But in January 2026, traveling this route means navigating a...
Record migrant dollars sustain families while driving inflation, land speculation, and deep social costs across Ecuador’s southern highlands. Walk through the canton of Gualaceo or the town of Chordeleg, just 45 minutes from Cuenca. You will see three-story mansions with ornate columns, mirrored glass, and American-style SUVs in the driveways. Yet, there are few...
Inside one of southern Ecuador’s busiest referral centers, doctors and nurses say emergency care is collapsing under supply failures. A protest born inside the emergency room White coats and surgical aprons replaced the usual bustle of stretchers outside Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital on January 9th, as doctors, nurses and technicians walked out to make...
After Maduro’s ouster, Ecuador’s Citizen Revolution risks losing political shelter, financial pipelines and a regional ally. A political friendship under strain The sudden collapse of Nicolás Maduro’s government in Venezuela has sent shockwaves well beyond Caracas, and few movements feel it more sharply than Ecuador’s Citizen Revolution. For nearly two decades, Correísmo built its...
The energy minister says reservoirs and new generation will bridge a rainless start to 2026 as demand climbs. As Ecuador slips deeper into its annual dry season, the country’s electricity system is again under the microscope, with falling reservoir levels in the southern Andes colliding with a government push to convince households and businesses...
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...
Weather agency warns storms will peak over several days, raising risks for roads, homes, and unstable terrain nationwide. After weeks marked by dryness in key parts of the country, Ecuador is now bracing for a sharp shift in weather as heavy rains and storms spread across much of the national territory, prompting authorities to...