Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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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 Registro Civil has extended walk-in service for cédulas and passports through July 31, 2026. No online appointment required at any of the 64 agencies nationwide. In Cuenca, the San Blas office can issue a passport in about 30 minutes.
U.S. Special Operations forces launched joint military operations in Ecuador on March 3, 2026, alongside 75,000 Ecuadorian troops. A curfew from 11 PM to 5 AM is in effect through March 31 in Guayas, El Oro, Los Rios, and Santo Domingo provinces — not in the highlands or Cuenca. Over 253 people have been arrested for curfew violations.
Ecuador deployed 75,000 soldiers and police to Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas with a nightly curfew from 11 PM to 5 AM through March 31. Here's what expats traveling to the coast or flying through Guayaquil need to know.
Angel Esteban Aguilar, known as 'Lobo Menor' and alleged mastermind behind the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, was arrested at Mexico City's airport using a fake Colombian passport. He's been extradited to Colombia.
Ecuador's 60-day state of emergency declared January 1 has been extended for an additional 30 days across nine provinces and three municipalities. With a record 9,000 homicides in 2025, President Noboa is doubling down on military deployments as the country remains in a declared state of 'internal armed conflict.'
The U.S. Embassy has issued security alerts for downtown Guayaquil, warning American citizens about ongoing demonstrations following the arrest of Mayor Aquiles Alvarez on money laundering charges. Expats are advised to avoid protest areas and carry identification at all times.
Since December 24, 2025, only the Rumichaca crossing (Colombia) and Huaquillas crossing (Peru) remain open for international land transit. All other border bridges are physically barricaded as part of the government's security strategy.
Everything expats need to know for the February 14-17 long weekend: tourism VAT drops from 15% to 8%, all bank branches close for four days, three highways are completely shut from landslides, domestic workers get double pay, and nearly 47,000 police officers are on the streets.
The Metropolitan Traffic Agency will blanket Quito with 711 officers, 36 control points on major highways, and monitoring at 63 high-traffic locations from February 13-17. Drunk driving operations, terminal coverage, and restrictions on ‘chivas’ party buses are all in effect.
President Noboa declared a fresh state of emergency on January 2 covering nine provinces and three municipalities after a mass shooting in Manta. Military operations target Los Lobos, Los Choneros, and Los Tiguerones. Here's what it means for daily life.
Visiting the Galapagos just got pricier: the national park entry fee for foreign tourists has doubled to $200, though expats with a cedula pay a much lower resident rate of $50.
