Breaking news, politics, economy, visas, safety, and lifestyle updates for expats living in Ecuador.
Tigo says Movistar and Tuenti users will keep their numbers, plans, chips, payment methods, and channels of service while the brands transition.
Commercial transport taxpayers, excluding taxis, have until December 31 to update the RUC and adapt electronic invoices to include vehicle plates.
Executive Decree 461 changes Ecuador’s public-procurement rules, including a registration right for RUP participants and a 0.4% retention on contracts or orders of at least USD 1 million.
Ecuador is discussing possible additional IMF financing through the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, while the Finance Ministry says the 2026 program is already funded and no decision has been made.
International diesel and gasoline benchmarks rose sharply in July, reducing the chance of another exceptional price reduction in Ecuador in August. The next domestic adjustment is due on August 12.
New customs reforms took effect July 29 and expand the circumstances in which goods can be declared abandoned. The rules include a one-month deadline after detention for tourists seeking to regularize or recover temporarily imported vehicles.
Ecuador's economy has shown growth in 2025 and early 2026, but informality remains above 60% of the labor force and only about three in 10 Ecuadorians have adequate employment.
Ecuador's tax authority has created a mandatory registry for electronic-invoicing system providers. Businesses and taxpayers using third-party billing platforms will also have a new RUC-identification requirement once the resolution is published.
Ecuador's largest credit cooperatives still have delinquency above pre-recession levels. The pressure is strongest in microcredit, the segment tied most directly to small businesses and vulnerable borrowers.
Electronic payments are becoming more common in Ecuador, while cash withdrawals from savings accounts fell 22% in 2025. For expats, the shift matters at pharmacies, restaurants, markets, banks, and small shops.
Ecuador expects to import electricity from Colombia during the dry season, but Colombia is warning about its own demand growth, delayed projects, and lower reservoir water. The issue matters because Ecuador could face a severe-drought deficit of 1,300 MW.
Cacao, coffee, bananas, and rice are all under market pressure as El Nino risk rises. The immediate story is export pricing, but the longer-term watch point is food-cost pass-through over the next 12 to 20 months.
