Breaking news, politics, economy, visas, safety, and lifestyle updates for expats living in Ecuador.
The militarization of Puerto Bolívar has surfaced the human cost: at least 300 families forcibly displaced, criminal group Los Lobos occupying up to 500 homes, and the terminal tied to 10.8 tons — 11.24% — of drugs seized nationally. Over 1,000 troops are searching 1,642 homes.
Armed forces, police, and intelligence services deployed to Puerto Bolívar in El Oro province for a major operation against criminal structures controlling the port. Defense Minister Loffredo says groups are using the port to ship drugs and extort fishermen.
Ecuador is investing USD 3 million in a new 24,000 m² Naval Station at Posorja, deploying coast guard, marine infantry, and naval aviation across the approaches to Guayaquil's export ports. Operational by 2027, possibly late 2026.
Coastal residents report electricity bills climbing from $80 to $155, $126 to $400, and $130 to $280 in a single cycle. President Noboa announced a subsidy covering up to 180 kWh per household in heat-affected zones, worth roughly $20 per bill, appearing on May statements.
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.
Peak demand on the Ecuadorian electrical grid hit 5,333 MW on April 10 — roughly 20% above normal, and enough to trigger rolling blackouts across Guayaquil, Daule, and Samborondón. The Ministry of Environment and Energy suspended all scheduled grid maintenance on April 14 to free up capacity. Here's what's happening and what to expect.
Two armed attacks in fewer than 15 days have shaken Salinas — Ecuador's best-known beach resort. Seven people were wounded in the Sunday attack on the malecón, and the canton has now recorded 13 homicides so far in 2026, two of them along the waterfront. Governor Xavier Negrete says he has formally notified Interior Minister John Reimberg. Here's what's known.
Interagua is cutting water to more than 30 sectors across southern Guayaquil on Tuesday April 14 from 6 AM to 2 PM to repair a pipeline leak in the Coviem sector. The full list of affected neighborhoods includes Jaime Roldós, Guasmo, Coviem, Santa Mónica, and dozens more.
Ecuador's Minister of Environment and Energy, Inés Manzano, confirmed scheduled power interruptions in Guayas province on two additional Sundays, running from 5:00 AM to 8:00 AM, for maintenance work at the Dos Cerritos substation. Affected areas include Guayaquil, Samborondón, Santa Lucía, Pedro Carbo, and Daule.
Los Ríos rice farmers are opening their winter harvest with no real buyers. The short version: an estimated 20% smaller crop, buyers paying $29/quintal against a $34 minimum support price, and 95,000 tons in losses to flooding and drought. The bottleneck is the Colombia trade war blocking last season's surplus from export.
The April 12 fuel price hike is already flowing through to family budgets on the coast. One south Guayaquil family reports their nephew's round-trip school transport jumped from $50 to $60 per month. The coastal school year just started — and the cost structure changed with it.
At 4:31 AM on Sunday, April 12, a bus and a light vehicle collided roughly one kilometer from the Olmedo toll plaza on the Via a la Costa in Santa Elena province. The crash killed four people and injured nine. Cause is under investigation.
