Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Primicias reports that mortgage-credit disbursements grew 22% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Sales, project visits and net reservations also rose, giving buyers and renters another signal that the housing market is tightening.
Monthly inflation reached 0.53% in April 2026, driven mainly by transport costs, with annual inflation at 2.6%. Meanwhile Ecuador's tariff on Colombian goods escalated to 100% on May 1. What it means for anyone living here on a fixed or foreign income.
The May 12 price adjustment is official — diesel crossed $3/gallon for the first time, stations in Quito and Guayaquil are running dry, and Ecuador is importing 65% of its fuel. The refinery FCC unit restarts May 15.
Drivers in Guayaquil and Quito report stations hiding Extra gasoline before the May 12 price adjustment. Terminal dispatches are down 33%. Fill up now if you can.
After Monday's paralysis that stranded 1.5 million commuters, Quito's blue buses resumed normal service Wednesday. But the underlying dispute is heading to formal negotiations on May 13, and a fare increase to /bin/zsh.65 is on the table.
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.
After months of escalating tariffs, Ecuador will reduce duties on Colombian imports from 100% to 75%. Cosmetics, medicines, plastics, and automotive parts are the primary categories affected.
Quito woke up without bus service on May 5 as operators cut hours to protest the end of diesel subsidies. The city handles 2 million transit trips daily, and 1.5 million of them depend on these buses.
SENAE rolled back the duty-free alcohol allowance to three liters per traveler starting May 4. Nearly 700,000 liters entered duty-free in 2024, and the agency says informal commerce was the real beneficiary.
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.
Ecuador's tariff on Colombian goods jumps from 50% to 100% on May 1, effectively shutting down $2 billion in annual trade. Truck traffic at Rumichaca has already dropped to 30-40% of normal. Sugar, medical supplies, and medications are all on the list.
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.
