Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Results for “Los Ríos”Clear
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit 55 km east of Santa Elena early Saturday morning, April 4. The tremor was felt across six provinces including Guayas, but caused no structural damage, injuries, or tsunami alert. Here's what happened and what expats on the coast should know.
Ecuador declared a 60-day national emergency on March 12 after relentless rains caused flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage across the country. At least 11 people have died, 22 rivers have overflowed, and 19 bridges have collapsed since January.
A nightly curfew from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM remains in effect in Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and El Oro through at least March 31. Around 75,000 soldiers and police are deployed. Cuenca and Azuay are not affected.
Holy Week starts next weekend. Good Friday (April 3) is the only mandatory national holiday — Thursday is NOT a holiday this year. Expect massive domestic travel to the coast, packed buses, and Quito's world-famous processions.
Ecuador deployed 75,000 soldiers and police to Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas with a nightly curfew from 11 PM to 5 AM through March 31. Here's what expats traveling to the coast or flying through Guayaquil need to know.
Holy Week runs March 29 to April 5. Good Friday (April 3) is a national holiday. Banks close, highways jam, ATMs run dry. Here's everything you need to know — from Quito's processions to beach town crowds to sierra road conditions.
Ecuador is experiencing its wettest February in a decade, with Cuenca recording 150mm of rain — nearly double the historical average. Nationwide, 4,700 people have been impacted, 770 displaced, and the Mazar reservoir is discharging at over-capacity.
A team of 30 chefs prepared approximately 9,500 servings of mote pata in the Plaza de San Francisco, earning Cuenca an official Guinness World Record and cementing the city's status as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. The record was the centerpiece of Cuenca's 'Carnaval de los 4 Ríos' celebrations.
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.
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.
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.
