Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Results for “registration”Clear
The National Electoral Council unanimously approved the start of the electoral period on February 14, setting the stage for mayoral, prefect, and council elections on February 14, 2027. Campaign season officially begins in January 2027.
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.
The original 18-karat gold FIFA World Cup Trophy is on display at Quorum del Paseo San Francisco in Cumbayá from 2:30 PM to 9:00 PM today — the fourth time the trophy has visited Ecuador. With La Tri set to face Germany at MetLife Stadium this summer, World Cup fever is running high.
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.
Ecuadorians bought 11,342 vehicles in January 2026, the best January on record. Electric and hybrid vehicles now account for 22% of all sales. Azuay was the third-biggest market in the country.
