Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Ecuador’s tax authority began a new RIMPE recategorization process on July 1. Small-business owners should check their RUC status because category changes can bring new tax obligations.
El Universo reports that Ecuador recorded 273,554 active labor contracts from January through April 2026, with 171,735 concentrated in one broad macrosector covering agriculture, construction, commerce, finance, professional services and health-related work.
Primicias reports that Ecuador's overdue financial-system portfolio managed by collection firms has risen from about $1.6 billion before Covid-19 to about $2.5 billion today, according to Asocob.
Starting June 1, 2026, Ecuador's tax authority requires VAT declarations to be filed and paid in a single transaction. Partial payments — even with credit notes — invalidate the declaration. If you run a business, rental property, or freelance income through SRI, this is a meaningful workflow change. Here's what's required.
Guayaquil's water utility Interagua will suspend service across large parts of the city and the Daule corridor this weekend for maintenance. Cuts run from Saturday April 18 at 10 PM through Sunday April 19, with some sectors out until 3 PM. Here's the sector-by-sector breakdown.
Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld released Ecuador's 2025 foreign affairs report, highlighting 107 bilateral instruments signed, $343.9 million in non-reimbursable international cooperation, 529,685 online visa appointments, and a 97.98% budget execution rate. The headline policy win: more than 7,400 tariff lines going to 0% under the US trade deal.
The two-week nightly curfew across four coastal provinces ends March 30, concluding the largest single anti-narcotics mobilization in South American history. 75,000 soldiers and police were deployed with U.S. Reaper drone support and FBI intelligence.
U.S. Special Operations forces launched joint military operations in Ecuador on March 3, 2026, alongside 75,000 Ecuadorian troops. A curfew from 11 PM to 5 AM is in effect through March 31 in Guayas, El Oro, Los Rios, and Santo Domingo provinces — not in the highlands or Cuenca. Over 253 people have been arrested for curfew violations.
Informal moneylenders continue to charge usurious interest rates in Loja’s market economy despite government programs offering subsidized microloans — a problem that traps local vendors in debt cycles and affects the cost of goods for everyone, expats included.
Extortion rackets once concentrated on Ecuador's coast have spread to Quito neighborhoods including Carapungo, Calderón, and Solanda. Business owners report demands of $100 to $2,000 per month, and 62% of small businesses nationwide have paid.
Quito has approved a new urban development plan for La Mariscal — the city's historic expat and tourist district. The centerpiece: Avenida Amazonas will revert to two-way traffic as part of an economic revitalization strategy.
Fresh figures from INEC show that Cuenca's registered foreign resident population has climbed to 28,000 -- a 15% year-over-year increase that cements the highland city's status as Ecuador's top expat destination.
