Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Quito is adding a new Quito Wawas center in Atucucho for 100 children ages 1 to 3. The free service is aimed at vulnerable families and includes meals, early stimulation, pedagogy, and health follow-up.
The SRI is applying stricter controls to IVA refund requests in 2026. Older adults can recover up to $144.60 per month, but invoices must use a cedula, be for personal consumption, and fit accepted categories such as food, clothing, health, education and construction.
El Comercio reports that President Daniel Noboa announced Ecuador will begin acquiring medicines from India, with negotiations already underway and an expected arrival in about three weeks. The amount, medicine types and first hospitals have not yet been detailed.
El Universo reports that Ecuador recorded 273,554 active labor contracts from January through April 2026, with 171,735 concentrated in one broad macrosector covering agriculture, construction, commerce, finance, professional services and health-related work.
The Battle of Pichincha holiday falls on Sunday in 2026, so Ecuador's mandatory rest day shifts to Monday, May 25. Expreso reports the country will have a three-day weekend, with no Friday transfer.
Ecuador's health regulator Arcsa closed a crab restaurant in Sauces 6, north Guayaquil, after multiple citizens reported gastrointestinal illness. Inspectors found no operating permit, expired products, and a bathroom in the kitchen area.
Aeropuerto de Cancún acquired the Brazilian partner's stake in Quiport, gaining indirect control of Mariscal Sucre. Ecuador's competition regulator approved the deal.
Resolution 2582 declares both countries' tariffs incompatible with the Cartagena Agreement. But with rates still at 75%, business leaders on both sides say trade remains frozen.
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.
Without Colombian electricity and an unreliable Coca Codo Sinclair plant, Ecuador's grid operator projects rolling blackout risk during the October-March dry season. The government is scrambling to rent diesel generators.
Average salary expectations have dropped 2.66% this quarter to $818, while the basic food basket costs $829. Here's what the gap means for Ecuador's economy and the expat cost-of-living picture.
Ecuador slashed the sales tax on tourism services from 15% to 8% for the four-day Labor Day holiday. Hotels, restaurants, car rentals, and tours all qualify under Executive Decree 368. Here's what counts, what doesn't, and how to make sure you're getting the discount.
