Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Results for “mining”Clear
A survey of 2,570 companies found that nearly half can't fill open positions. The biggest barriers: lack of experience, weak digital skills, and wages that don't compete.
Juan Carlos Blum is now the fifth person to lead Ecuador's energy portfolio since November 2023. A former minister calls it 'a responsibility of the highest risk.' The blackouts, failed contracts, and investigations explain why.
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.
Ecuador's free trade agreement with China turned two on May 1. Imports from China surged 30% to $7.8 billion while exports barely grew. The non-petroleum trade deficit ballooned from $335 million to $1.9 billion. Here's what the numbers actually show.
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.
The Cangrejos project, ranked 13th among the world's largest undeveloped gold deposits, gets a 26-year exploitation contract. Chinese-backed Odin Mining will invest $1.6 billion and generate 1,168 jobs. The government expects $6 billion in total revenue.
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.
The Banco Central del Ecuador raised its 2026 GDP growth projection to 2.5%, up 0.7 points from its September forecast. Inflation is expected at 1.8%, private credit to grow 10%, and the external account to post a $6.4 billion surplus. 2025 closed at 3.7% growth — so momentum is slowing.
Environment and Energy Minister Inés Manzano announced leadership changes at both CNEL (the national distribution utility) and CENACE (the grid operator) this week after widespread blackouts and what she called 'slow and inefficient' responses. Juan Carlos Blum — a mechanical engineer with a background in multilateral energy work — is the new CNEL general manager.
President Daniel Noboa announced on April 13 that he will make an official visit to China in August 2026, framing it around trade with nations that have become important Ecuador partners over the last 20 years. His first China visit was in June 2025.
Ecuador's Constitutional Court ruled unanimously (9-0) that President Noboa cannot fast-track the bilateral investment treaty with the UAE. The ISDS provisions trigger constitutional review, and the treaty must be approved by the National Assembly. Investors tracking the UAE corridor should expect delays.
Ecuador's National Assembly passed a new mining and energy law 77-70 on February 26, replacing environmental licenses with simplified authorizations and allowing rock extraction in the Galapagos Islands. CONAIE and environmental groups are protesting the changes as a rollback of decades of conservation policy.
