Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
July has no national Ecuador holiday, but Guayaquil will have a local day off on Friday, July 24, creating a three-day weekend for people who work or study in the canton and its rural parishes.
Guayaquil’s ATM is offering staged discounts for July vehicle technical review appointments tied to plates ending in 6. The discount falls from 20% to 10% as the July 15 cutoff approaches.
Guayaquil riders will keep paying 30 cents for the first 180 days after the ordinance is published. After that transition, fares depend on whether each bus unit completes the required modernization process.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designation of Ecuador’s Chone Killers as a foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorist. Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry thanked the United States for the backing.
Seismic specialists are warning that Guayaquil’s soft soils, older structures and informal construction could make parts of the city especially vulnerable in a major earthquake.
A water-service interruption affected several communes, neighborhoods and settlements along Guayaquil’s Vía a la Costa on June 21, 2026. Interagua said the problem came from a leak in the aqueduct near kilometer 51 and began supplying affected areas with tanker trucks.
Guayaquil airport officials said the Jose Joaquin de Olmedo terminal remained operational for domestic and international flights after a June 17 shooting outside the airport. Access was temporarily restricted while police worked the scene, but authorities said passengers inside the building were safe.
Guayaquil has more than 100 kilometers of streets under intervention across the north, center and south of the city. Some merchants report sales declines of 40% to 50% as road closures and restricted access affect customer traffic.
Guayaquil recorded 300 road deaths in 2025, a 15% increase from 2024, and 75% of those killed were pedestrians or motorcyclists. ATM data also tied 208 of the 300 deaths to speeding-related incidents.
Ecuador's customs service found 21 hidden iPhones in luggage from a passenger arriving from Panama at Guayaquil's airport. In a separate Quito airport case, customs also retained about 6,000 dental medical-device items including implants, ligatures and resins.
IESS says Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital allocated $435,083 for medications and supplies, including antibiotics, neonatal respiratory supplies, suction hoses and Tocilizumab. For expats using IESS or watching the public system, this is a concrete supply update with named purchases and dollar amounts.
Guayaquil saw flooding for the second consecutive day after intense rain affected northern, central and southern sectors. Critical points included Sauces, Samanes, Las Orquideas, Bastion and Via Perimetral.
