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After two major earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, Ecuador activated assistance channels for Ecuadorians in the affected area. The update matters for residents with family or travel ties in Venezuela.
El Mercurio reports 13,689 Ecuadorians obtained Spanish nationality in 2025. Ecuador led the country list for the fourth consecutive year, ahead of Venezuela, Morocco and Colombia.
Ecuador's April 9 imposition of a 100% tariff on Colombian products — targeting $2 billion in annual bilateral trade — has triggered the deepest institutional crisis the Comunidad Andina has faced in its 57-year existence. Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe publicly warned Ipiales is "in ruin."
The IMF raised its 2026 GDP growth projection for Ecuador from 2% to 2.5% in the latest World Economic Outlook, presented at the Washington spring meetings. That puts Ecuador above the 2.3% South American average. For context, Ecuador posted 3.7% growth in 2025.
The World Bank forecasts Ecuador's economy will grow just 2% in 2026, among the lowest rates in Latin America. A fiscal deficit of 3-4% of GDP, expiring security contributions, weakening oil receipts, and likely tax reform paint a challenging picture.
January 2026 crude production hit 466,400 bbl/d, down 1.8% year-over-year and 13% below a decade ago. Illegal pipeline taps surged from 36 in 2022 to 770 in 2024, costing $100 million annually. Ecuador needs 550,000 bbl/d just to cover basic fiscal needs.
Three diplomatic developments in a single week: Ecuador ratified a cooperation treaty with Europol on March 26, expelled the Cuban ambassador without explanation in early March, and hosted U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 25-26.
The United States has deployed approximately 75,000 military personnel to Ecuador in a historic first, marking the largest U.S. military operation in South America in decades. The deployment aims to combat narcotrafficking networks operating along Ecuador's coast and border regions.
Ecuador has expelled all Cuban diplomatic personnel after embassy staff were reportedly filmed burning documents in the courtyard of the Cuban Embassy in Quito. The move signals a sharp break in relations between the two countries.
Ecuador's economy is projected to grow approximately 2% in 2026 with inflation holding near 1.5%. Country risk stands at 460 basis points. Here is what the numbers mean for expats living on dollar-denominated income in a dollarized economy.
Ecuador has signed a Safe Third Country agreement with the United States, accepting deportation flights carrying over 4,700 non-Ecuadorian nationals from at least 16 different countries. The agreement makes Ecuador a receiving country for asylum seekers and migrants removed from the U.S.
President Daniel Noboa will join five other Latin American leaders at a Trump-hosted summit in Miami on March 7, forming a regional bloc focused on countering China’s influence, boosting security cooperation, and expanding trade — with Ecuador’s new US deal as the centerpiece.
