Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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An 11 PM to 5 AM curfew is in effect across nine provinces and four cantons through May 18. No safe-conduct passes will be issued. Here is everything expats need to know, from affected areas to the only exemptions that exist.
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.
Ecuador's 2026 budget includes no allocation for IESS medical care, leaving the social security system with an estimated $1 billion shortfall. Medication shortages and emergency room waits of 4-8 hours are already widespread.
Ecuador offers expats affordable healthcare through both the public IESS system (~$85/month) and private providers. GP visits run $25-40, specialist visits $40-80, and an MRI costs $200-400. Here is a complete guide to navigating healthcare as a foreign resident.
Ecuador's public healthcare system is struggling with corruption investigations, specialist wait times stretching months, and chronic medication shortages. Many expats are supplementing with private insurance or paying out-of-pocket. Here's the current state of play.
Ecuador’s TB crisis went from bad to alarming in 2025. Deaths jumped 127%, confirmed cases rose 67% to 9,142, and health experts warn this is no longer just a prison problem — community transmission is driving the surge.
Ecuador has jumped to third place in the WHO's Latin America Healthcare Index, trailing only Costa Rica and Chile -- a strong validation for expats who cite affordable medical care as a top reason for relocating.
