Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Canadian mining giant Lundin Gold announced a $100 million exploration budget for 2026, targeting 133,000 meters of drilling across its concessions in Zamora Chinchipe province. The investment aims to extend the life of its flagship Fruta del Norte gold mine as gold prices surge toward record highs.
Ecuador's 60-day state of emergency declared January 1 has been extended for an additional 30 days across nine provinces and three municipalities. With a record 9,000 homicides in 2025, President Noboa is doubling down on military deployments as the country remains in a declared state of 'internal armed conflict.'
Ecuador's Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor) projects 6-7% export growth for 2026, a significant slowdown from the 18% surge in 2025. Headwinds include US tariff uncertainty, the Colombia trade dispute, and falling cacao prices — but the new US trade deal and flower sector expansion offer upside.
Cuenca has become the third Ecuadorian city to adopt a formal climate action plan, covering electric bus deployment and water source protection. Bloomberg Philanthropies has awarded the city $150,000 for youth-led environmental projects as Cuenca enters 2026 under a dramatically different hydrological reality.
The U.S. Embassy has issued security alerts for downtown Guayaquil, warning American citizens about ongoing demonstrations following the arrest of Mayor Aquiles Alvarez on money laundering charges. Expats are advised to avoid protest areas and carry identification at all times.
Ecuadorian soldiers stormed a clandestine jungle base in Esmeraldas province at dawn on February 17, capturing the Colombian leader of an Oliver Sinisterra Front cell and ten Ecuadorian members — the same FARC splinter group that kidnapped and murdered El Comercio journalists in 2018.
Manabí province’s two largest cities generated $20.5 million in tourism revenue during the four-day Carnival holiday, with Manta recording 90% hotel occupancy and the Mariana Fest alone drawing 60,000 people to El Murciélago beach.
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.
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.
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.
A high-level Colombian delegation arrives in Quito today for emergency talks aimed at resolving the reciprocal 30% tariff war that has brought bilateral trade to a near standstill and suspended Colombian electricity exports.
Thirty-percent tariffs, suspended electricity exports, a 900% pipeline fee hike, and border protests — the Ecuador-Colombia trade war is escalating fast. Here's how it could affect your daily life.
