Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Your IESS pension isn't based on your last salary or years of service alone — it's calculated from the average of your five highest-earning years. If your employer has been under-reporting your salary, you won't find out until retirement. Here's how the formula works.
The Superintendencia de Bancos just published a list of 14 unlicensed organizations illegally collecting money from the public. They promise high returns in short timeframes. Last year alone, 60 similar entities were detected.
Ecuador's tariff on Colombian goods jumps from 50% to 100% on May 1, effectively shutting down $2 billion in annual trade. Truck traffic at Rumichaca has already dropped to 30-40% of normal. Sugar, medical supplies, and medications are all on the list.
Ecuador's Attorney General is seeking to formally charge 21 people — including a former Celec manager and former Energy Minister — with embezzlement tied to emergency contracts during the 2024 blackout crisis. Estimated damages exceed $100 million.
Ecuador's health regulator found Listeria monocytogenes in a batch of La Artesanal chocolate ice cream made by Helados Novísimo. The lot has been pulled from shelves and the factory suspended. Here's the lot number and what to do.
Ministry data shows more than 20% of Ecuador's road network requires caution, and the government has flagged 14 specific highways as risky for the 4-day holiday. Here's the condition breakdown and which routes to watch.
President Noboa's latest curfew runs May 3–18 from 11 PM to 5 AM across nine provinces including Pichincha and Guayas. Azuay, Loja, and Imbabura are not on the list. Here's the full breakdown.
Prosecutors raided CNEL offices across three provinces after the Energy Minister revealed a decade-long billing manipulation scheme affecting 400,000+ accounts. Officials allegedly cut invoices by 80% in exchange for bribes.
ARCSA reviewed 2,100+ registered products and reclassified 30 active ingredients as prescription-only. If you're used to buying certain medicines at the farmacia without a receta, some of those purchases just got harder.
Interior Minister Reimberg told AFP that organized crime groups have launched roughly 600 drone attempts at El Encuentro prison since it opened. The government says it will build as many mega-prisons as needed.
A threat actor published 17 million records from Ecuador's ANT, including cédula numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and vehicle details. The agency hasn't acknowledged the breach. Here's what was exposed and what to do.
President Noboa signed Decreto 368 cutting the tourism IVA from 15% to 8% for the May Day long weekend (April 30–May 3). Hotels, restaurants, car rentals, and travel agencies all qualify. Here's how it works.
