Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Quito reactivated pico y placa on June 29 for cars and motorcycles inside the city’s urban restriction area. Drivers should check the last digit of their plate before heading into the capital.
INAMHI’s June 28 forecast calls for variable rain, especially in the Amazon, with scattered afternoon and nighttime rain expected in Cuenca. The Coast should be mostly clear, except possible drizzle in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and Esmeraldas.
Quito is applying its Pico y Placa vehicle restriction on Thursday, June 25. Drivers in the capital should check plate endings and time windows before crossing restricted zones.
Traffic on the Balbanera-Pallatanga-Cumandá road is restricted from June 22 through June 28, 2026 for rehabilitation works. The route is a key Sierra-to-Coast corridor used by private vehicles, interprovincial buses and heavy cargo.
Ecuador’s ANT says the expired-license grace period ends June 30, 2026. Drivers with renewal appointments after that date can use special Saturday service on June 20 and 27 from 08:00 to 16:00 if they go to the same agency with their printed appointment and required documents.
Net housing reservations in Ecuador rose 28% from January to April 2026 compared with the same period last year. Builders now project that annual housing sales could reach or exceed 40,000 units if favorable conditions continue.
A three-day virtual job fair in Ecuador will run from June 18 to June 20, 2026, with 1,050 vacancies across more than 20 participating companies. The fair includes roles in commercial, financial, accounting, technical, administrative, driving, assistant, operations and intern profiles.
Guayaquil has more than 100 kilometers of streets under intervention across the north, center and south of the city. Some merchants report sales declines of 40% to 50% as road closures and restricted access affect customer traffic.
A frontal crash between a pickup truck and a cargo truck near the Zapotal bridge left 12 people dead on June 14. ECU 911 said the crash happened at about 04:14 on the Guayaquil-Santa Elena highway.
A heavy downpour on Thursday, June 11, flooded streets in Ibarra and Atuntaqui, with water rising above half a meter in some areas. In Cotacachi, farmers in Peribuela reported damaged corn and fruit crops after the storm and hail.
Guayaquil recorded 300 road deaths in 2025, a 15% increase from 2024, and 75% of those killed were pedestrians or motorcyclists. ATM data also tied 208 of the 300 deaths to speeding-related incidents.
Weather officials say Ecuador's recent intense rains should begin easing nationally from Thursday, with the Coast seeing reduced intensity and the Sierra seeing more solar radiation. Guayaquil recorded 90-100 millimeters of rain in two days, roughly double the normal amount for the month.
