Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
A warehouse fire in downtown Guayaquil’s Multicomercio commercial complex burned for over 24 hours, reaching temperatures of 700°C before the rear structure collapsed. 150 firefighters and 49 units responded. No deaths reported, but surrounding towers face structural risk warnings.
Ecuador's largest city lost its mayor in a pre-dawn raid on February 10. Prosecutors detained 11 people — including Alvarez and his two brothers — on charges of organized crime, money laundering, and tax fraud. The vice mayor called it political persecution.
A high-level Colombian delegation arrives in Quito today for emergency talks aimed at resolving the reciprocal 30% tariff war that has brought bilateral trade to a near standstill and suspended Colombian electricity exports.
The government has indefinitely suspended all mining activity in Napo and restricted processing plants in El Oro and Loja after finding heavy metals in the Amazon's Napo River and links between illegal mining operations and drug cartels.
Fresh figures from INEC show that Cuenca's registered foreign resident population has climbed to 28,000 -- a 15% year-over-year increase that cements the highland city's status as Ecuador's top expat destination.
Riding the success of its first metro line, Quito has greenlit an ambitious $800 million expansion that will add three new routes -- including a direct airport-to-downtown connector that could transform the expat commute.
