Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Loja's city council archived a proposal to raise the urban bus fare from 30 to 36 cents, but the transport consortium says the suspension of service remains indefinite. Expreso reports students, workers and merchants are being hit hardest while legal action seeks to restore service.
Decreto Ejecutivo 378 extends national transport compensation through June 15, delaying a politically painful fare increase. Loja has already raised fares to $0.36; Cuenca, Quito, Guayaquil and Ambato all see different responses.
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.
The May 12 price adjustment is official — diesel crossed $3/gallon for the first time, stations in Quito and Guayaquil are running dry, and Ecuador is importing 65% of its fuel. The refinery FCC unit restarts May 15.
Drivers in Guayaquil and Quito report stations hiding Extra gasoline before the May 12 price adjustment. Terminal dispatches are down 33%. Fill up now if you can.
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.
Quito woke up without bus service on May 5 as operators cut hours to protest the end of diesel subsidies. The city handles 2 million transit trips daily, and 1.5 million of them depend on these buses.
The incoming Energy Minister inherits a five-front crisis: a 900+ MW power generation gap, record electricity demand of 5,374 MW, oil output at its lowest since 2003, and a dormant mining cadastre. Here's what that means for daily life.
Ecuador is investing USD 3 million in a new 24,000 m² Naval Station at Posorja, deploying coast guard, marine infantry, and naval aviation across the approaches to Guayaquil's export ports. Operational by 2027, possibly late 2026.
Two bills moving through Ecuador's Assembly would redirect a 0.5% employer payroll contribution — currently flowing through IESS — to fund the Secap professional training agency. If you run an Ecuadorian business or employ anyone locally, this changes the math.
President Daniel Noboa announced cabinet changes on April 20, installing Jaime Bernabé Erazo as Minister of Health effective immediately. The Ministry of Environment and Energy will receive a new minister on April 30, with the current officeholder stepping down.
Quito's Metro restarted normal operations Tuesday, April 21, after an 11-hour shutdown that began at 5:30 am Monday. The deeper story: manufacturer CAF has recommended replacing 864 train wheels, citing abnormal wear that partly triggered the outage. Mayor Pabel Muñoz is also investigating possible sabotage.
