Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Monthly inflation reached 0.53% in April 2026, driven mainly by transport costs, with annual inflation at 2.6%. Meanwhile Ecuador's tariff on Colombian goods escalated to 100% on May 1. What it means for anyone living here on a fixed or foreign income.
The militarization of Puerto Bolívar has surfaced the human cost: at least 300 families forcibly displaced, criminal group Los Lobos occupying up to 500 homes, and the terminal tied to 10.8 tons — 11.24% — of drugs seized nationally. Over 1,000 troops are searching 1,642 homes.
Interior Minister John Reimberg confirmed today that the nationwide nighttime curfew will end as scheduled on May 18. Operations during the curfew so far have produced over 2,000 detentions, 331 weapons seized, and nearly 500 people linked to criminal organizations.
Prosecutors are expanding the high-profile 'Goleada' money laundering case against Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Álvarez to include his wife, mother, and two brothers — bringing the total number of defendants to 17.
Aeropuerto de Cancún acquired the Brazilian partner's stake in Quiport, gaining indirect control of Mariscal Sucre. Ecuador's competition regulator approved the deal.
Resolution 2582 declares both countries' tariffs incompatible with the Cartagena Agreement. But with rates still at 75%, business leaders on both sides say trade remains frozen.
Ecuador is burning through diesel at a 23% faster rate to keep the lights on. Diesel prices jumped from .11 to .45 per gallon. And the government just failed — for the second time — to secure emergency thermal generation contracts.
Without Colombian electricity and an unreliable Coca Codo Sinclair plant, Ecuador's grid operator projects rolling blackout risk during the October-March dry season. The government is scrambling to rent diesel generators.
After months of escalating tariffs, Ecuador will reduce duties on Colombian imports from 100% to 75%. Cosmetics, medicines, plastics, and automotive parts are the primary categories affected.
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.
The math: 30 years of contributions at minimum wage gets you $361/month. Forty years gets you the full $482. IESS uses your five best earning years, not your last salary. Here's the complete breakdown.
A Sunday afternoon hailstorm dumped 40+ cm of ice on Ecuador's northernmost city. Neighborhoods across southern Tulcán flooded, two landslides closed the E-35 highway, and emergency crews are still clearing damage.
