Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Results for “recovery”Clear
Primicias reports that Quito canceled the public-private partnership initiative for Ruta Viva and will keep the airport corridor under municipal administration. The road connects Quito with Mariscal Sucre airport and the eastern valleys, including Cumbayá and Tumbaco.
Average salary expectations have dropped 2.66% this quarter to $818, while the basic food basket costs $829. Here's what the gap means for Ecuador's economy and the expat cost-of-living picture.
SEPS data shows 12 Ecuadorian credit cooperatives were liquidated in 2025, with two more in process in early 2026 (Incoop in Ambato, Cariamanga in Loja). The sector still serves 7.6 million users, but the expat habit of parking USD in a cooperativa deserves a second look.
National Police executed Operation Apolo 19 in Quito's Quitumbe district on April 17, arresting 30 people across Guamaní, Turubamba, Chillogallo, La Ecuatoriana, and Las Cuadras. 53 officers participated. Seizures included 1 firearm, 20 bladed weapons, 14 detonators, 58 rounds of ammunition, 1.5 kg of cocaine, and 11 stolen vehicles.
Ecuador's national hotel occupancy reached 40.3% in the most recent reporting period, up 3.6 percentage points year-over-year. The recovery is real but modest — pre-pandemic occupancy averaged 50-55% nationally. Coastal and Galápagos properties are leading the rebound.
Ecuador's state electricity company CELEC has filed a lawsuit in US federal court alleging that Progen, a private contractor, delivered refurbished and non-functional emergency generators under $149 million in contracts while draining the project's bank account to zero. The fraud is directly linked to the 2024 blackout crisis.
Police in Guayaquil dismantled a massive phone theft operation involving 25,000 stolen devices valued at over $3 million. Authorities recovered approximately 30% of the phones through device tracking. The scale reveals how organized phone theft has become -- and why basic security practices matter for every resident.
Ecuador returned to international capital markets in January 2026 for the first time since its 2020 debt restructuring, selling $4 billion in sovereign bonds across two tranches. The move included a $3 billion debt buy-back and sent country risk plummeting from over 2,000 points to 460.
The IMF reached a staff-level agreement on the fifth review of Ecuador's $5 billion Extended Fund Facility on March 31. If approved by the Executive Board, Ecuador will receive a $394 million disbursement, bringing total draws to $3.33 billion -- 66% of the program.
The Banco Central del Ecuador confirmed that GDP grew 3.7% in 2025, pulling the country out of the 2% contraction it suffered in 2024. Growth was driven by exports (+6.4%), investment (+5.6%), and household consumption (+2.7%). The 2026 forecast is a more modest 1.8%.
The World Bank forecasts Ecuador's economy will grow just 2% in 2026, among the lowest rates in Latin America. A fiscal deficit of 3-4% of GDP, expiring security contributions, weakening oil receipts, and likely tax reform paint a challenging picture.
Ecuador's economy is projected to grow approximately 2% in 2026 with inflation holding near 1.5%. Country risk stands at 460 basis points. Here is what the numbers mean for expats living on dollar-denominated income in a dollarized economy.
