Breaking news, politics, economy, visas, safety, and lifestyle updates for expats living in Ecuador.
President Daniel Noboa issued Decree 448 to make Ecuador’s 2025-2029 National Security Plan mandatory public policy nationwide. The plan names organized crime, narcotrafficking, illegal mining, money laundering, corruption, and cyberattacks among the country’s main risks.
Durán’s garbage collection service was set to resume on July 14 after nearly three weeks of suspension. The dispute involved a municipal debt above $9.7 million and about 350 tons of daily waste.
A temporary access on the E45 Troncal Amazónica between the new and old bridges over the Upano River is scheduled to close permanently on July 17. Machinery and vehicles in the area must be removed by July 16.
Ecuadorian authorities list several ways to report extortion, including 1800 DELITO, ECU 911, the 131 line, Fiscalía, QR-code reporting, a WhatsApp rewards number, and a Ministry of Interior digital form.
Quito’s public bike system is being prepared with 250 bikes, 25 stations, QR or Tarjeta Ciudad unlocking, real-time geolocation, and service from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Elecaustro opened a new rental process for a 90-110 MW power barge as Cenace warns of a 25% probability of electricity deficits in the 2026-2027 dry season without new generation.
Inamhi’s July 13 forecast calls for isolated rain, high to extremely high UV levels, and Sierra wind gusts in Imbabura, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, and Tungurahua.
An Air Canada aircraft flying Miami-Lima made an emergency landing at Manta’s Eloy Alfaro airport on July 12 after reporting an engine failure, with no injuries reported.
The share of migrants and refugees in Ecuador with a bank account rose from 11% in 2022 to 48% in 2025, according to figures presented at a financial-inclusion event in Quito.
Ecuadorian dealerships sold 14,139 hybrid cars in the first half of 2026, up 76.5% from the same period in 2025, as Extra and Ecopaís gasoline rose from $2.67 to $3.31 per gallon.
Ecuador’s Assembly is debating tenancy-law changes that would set maximum limits and a return mechanism for rental guarantees, a practical issue for expats signing leases.
Ecuador’s ERFEN committee says El Niño is in its initial development phase, while immediate intense rainfall is not expected and dry-season conditions should continue in the Coast and western and central Sierra.
