Breaking news, politics, economy, visas, safety, and lifestyle updates for expats living in Ecuador.
An American Airlines flight from Guayaquil to Miami returned to Jose Joaquin de Olmedo airport on June 7 after departing at 14:49. The aircraft had advanced toward Esmeraldas before changing course back to Guayaquil.
Quito remains under a rain and storm alert from 17:00 on June 7 until 10:00 on June 10. Municipal monitoring is focused on areas at risk of flooding and landslides, including sectors in Calderon, Quitumbe, Tumbaco and Los Chillos.
A legal reform moving through Ecuador's Assembly aims to clear about 12,000 abandoned containers from the country's ports. The backlog includes roughly $450 million in retained cargo and average wait times of 365 days.
Ecuador’s National Transit Agency has temporarily suspended issuing driver licenses abroad while it strengthens control, verification and security procedures. The agency says the pause is tied to institutional controls after a corruption investigation earlier this year.
The Jóvenes del Nuevo Ecuador 2026 program offers 3,276 scholarships for higher-education students age 18 to 29. Applications opened June 4 and close June 28 through the official platform.
Ambato bus operators agreed to resume normal service on June 5 after four days of reduced hours. The agreement includes $700 in fuel support for transport operators over six months, pending a June 8 council session.
The U.S. Trade Representative is proposing a 10% tariff for Ecuador and five other economies over enforcement of forced-labor import bans. Public comments are open until July 6, and Ecuador’s current 10% surcharge expires July 24.
HIV patients at Quito's Carlos Andrade Marin Hospital say they have gone more than 15 days without TLD antiretroviral medication. Patient advocates estimate 1,600 HIV patients are treated at HCAM, while national health figures put Ecuador's HIV population at 52,357 people.
Quito's Mobility Commission begins debate on a bus-fare ordinance that would set a 40-cent urban fare and 45-cent fare for electric or low-emission buses. The city's prior agreement keeps the 35-cent fare through 2026 with municipal compensation to operators.
A strengthening coastal El Nino episode off Peru could reach Ecuadorian waters within two weeks. Ocean-monitoring indicators show Nino 1+2 approaching +3 C, while some sea-surface readings reached 6.4 C above average.
Executive Decree 398 reforms Ecuador's tax-regulation framework to update identification, marking, authentication and fiscal traceability controls. SRI will implement and control the marking system for selected taxpayers, goods and services.
Primicias reports Epmaps completed maintenance work that caused a water cut in 39 barrios of Alangasi, Amaguana, Conocoto and Guangopolo. Service may normalize progressively through the early hours of June 5.
