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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.
The two-week nightly curfew across four coastal provinces ends March 30, concluding the largest single anti-narcotics mobilization in South American history. 75,000 soldiers and police were deployed with U.S. Reaper drone support and FBI intelligence.
Amnesty International submitted evidence to the UN documenting 10 people disappeared in five military operations in 2024, with 43 possible victims since 2023. A landmark court ruling sentenced 11 military officers to 34+ years for the disappearance of four teenagers in Guayaquil.
Jose Vinces, 44, founder of Vinces TV, was shot 10 times by two gunmen on a motorcycle after being lured to a cemetery by a fabricated tip about human remains. His microphone helped stop a bullet. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack and called for investigation.
In a CNN en Espanol interview on March 20, President Noboa defended Ecuador's commercial relationship with China while reaffirming the country's deepening military and diplomatic alliance with the United States.
Jose Vinces, founder of Vinces TV in El Oro province, was shot by two gunmen at a cemetery after being lured by a fabricated tip. The Committee to Protect Journalists has demanded a full investigation. Ecuador saw 168 attacks on journalists in 2025.
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.
Ecuador and Colombia have imposed 50% tariffs on each other's imports in an escalating trade war that puts $2.8 billion in bilateral trade at risk. Colombia has also suspended electricity exports and raised pipeline fees by 900%.
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 imposed an 11pm-to-5am curfew in four coastal provinces — Guayas, Los Rios, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, and El Oro — as part of the ongoing state of emergency. The restriction runs through at least March 30, 2026.
Ecuador's security situation varies dramatically by region. The highlands — including Quito, Cuenca, and Loja — remain relatively stable, while coastal provinces face serious security challenges. Here is a province-by-province overview for expats.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has established its first permanent office in Ecuador, operating out of the U.S. Embassy in Quito. The office will focus on counter-narcotics intelligence, transnational crime, and cybercrime affecting both nations.
