Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Since December 24, 2025, only the Rumichaca crossing (Colombia) and Huaquillas crossing (Peru) remain open for international land transit. All other border bridges are physically barricaded as part of the government's security strategy.
A joint investigation by the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands confirmed that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine — a rare neurotoxin produced by a poison dart frog native to Ecuador's southwestern Andes.
Ecuador's Naval Oceanographic Institute warns of agitated seas and dangerous rip currents along the entire Pacific coastline on February 17, as a spring tide coincides with Carnival's peak beach crowds. Salinas alone expected up to 300,000 visitors this weekend.
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2026 features horseback riding among Ecuador's chagra cowboys near Volcán Cotopaxi as one of 25 must-do experiences worldwide. The recognition comes as tourism numbers approach pre-pandemic levels and Cuenca rents climb 20% in central neighborhoods.
INAMHI forecasts heavy rainfall with electrical storms across most of Ecuador through February 19, with three provinces on red alert and nine on orange. The highlands face afternoon thunderstorms, the coast faces flooding risks, and four highways remain closed from earlier weather damage.
Washington and Quito have 'substantially concluded' negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement set to be signed in coming weeks. But Ecuador's biggest non-oil export to the U.S. — shrimp worth $2 billion a year — may not get the tariff relief the industry needs to survive.
International cacao prices have collapsed from a record $13,000 per ton in late 2024 to $3,581 in February 2026. Ecuadorian farmers now receive roughly $130 per quintal — down from $400 a year ago — squeezing margins in communities across the coast.
Loja province has been placed on orange alert and emergency warehouses now hold over 6,000 humanitarian aid kits — three times the historical average. Three cantons are under active watch as the rainy season intensifies across Ecuador's southern highlands.
Ecuador’s risk management agency raised alert levels nationwide as the rainy season intensifies. Pichincha (home to Quito), Esmeraldas, and Los Ríos are at the highest level. Sixteen more provinces — including Azuay, Guayas, and Loja — sit at orange alert heading into Carnival weekend.
The ACLED Conflict Watchlist 2026 ranks Ecuador among the planet’s most dangerous nations. Over 3,600 people died from organized crime violence in 2025 — a 42% increase — and 71% of the population was exposed to criminal violence, the highest rate in Latin America.
Vice President María José Pinto launched Ecuador's 2026 National Dengue Plan and Gran Minga Comunitaria, targeting 1,532 critical sectors across seven provinces that accounted for 40% of last year's cases. Rainy season interventions begin immediately in Esmeraldas, Guayas, Santa Elena, Manabí, El Oro, Napo, and Pastaza.
President Noboa declared a fresh state of emergency on January 2 covering nine provinces and three municipalities after a mass shooting in Manta. Military operations target Los Lobos, Los Choneros, and Los Tiguerones. Here's what it means for daily life.
