Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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The nationwide nighttime curfew under Executive Decree 370 ended at 5:00 a.m. Monday, May 18, after 15 days. Authorities reported 3,422 people detained nationwide, 378 raids, 5.9 tons of drugs and 405 firearms seized. Here's the final picture and what changes now for foreign residents.
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.
Ecuador's social security pension system has more than doubled its retiree count since 2016 — to 840,456 — while contributing affiliates have stayed flat at 3.54 million. Pension spending hits $7.55 billion in 2026, contributions cover only $3.44 billion. The IESS is requesting $3.05 billion from the government and pulling $1.41 billion from reserves. Here's what's actually happening to Ecuador's pension system.
President Noboa presented Q1 2026 economic results in a national broadcast. Sales hit $63.2 billion (vs $57.7B Q1 2025). Country risk dropped from 1,908 bps a year ago to 416 today. Public investment jumped from $42M to $533M YoY. Here's what the government is claiming and what to actually take from it.
Economy Minister Sariha Moya presented Ecuador's fiscal efficiency formula at the IMF Spring Meetings in Washington on April 14. Her headline numbers: international reserves up from $3 billion to $11 billion, poverty down from 28% to 21% in 2025, and local-government payment delays cut by 85%. She credited the fuel subsidy phase-out that ran from June 2024 through September 2025.
The Ministry of Education has opened more than 2,000 teaching vacancies across Ecuador with applications running exclusively online through the official portal. For expats with teaching credentials or interest in Ecuador's education system, this is a rare window into public sector employment.
Ecuador's online-only visa system, mandatory since December 15, 2025, has pushed processing times to 4-5 months across most visa categories. Pensioner and Rentista visas now require $1,458/month in income, Digital Nomad $1,446/month, and Investment visas $48,200 in capital. Paper applications are no longer accepted.
Ecuador's Constitutional Court declared the SECA trade agreement with South Korea compliant on March 19. The deal grants tariff-free access for 98.8% of Ecuadorian products and covers investment, technology transfer, energy, and infrastructure cooperation.
Ecuador has expelled all Cuban diplomatic personnel after embassy staff were reportedly filmed burning documents in the courtyard of the Cuban Embassy in Quito. The move signals a sharp break in relations between the two countries.
Ecuador's visa system has seen several updates for 2026, including the rollout of an electronic visa application system, a new SBU of $482 that affects financial requirements, and mandatory health insurance for all residency applicants.
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.
Ecuador's Superintendency of Companies ordered an external administrator installed at Granasa, publisher of two of the country's largest newspapers, after the company refused to hand over internal legal records. The Inter-American Press Society called it 'an intimidating act' of indirect censorship.
