Breaking news, politics, economy, visas, safety, and lifestyle updates for expats living in Ecuador.
Metro de Quito users are reporting waits up to 20 minutes in April 2026 — double the normal 5-6 minutes. The cause: wheel-resurfacing maintenance that's pulled units offline. Full wheel replacement isn't due until 2028.
Pizza Hut Ecuador has new ownership. In a market where over 706,000 pizzas moved through PedidosYa in 2025 alone, the competitive landscape looks meaningfully different than it does in the U.S. Here's who's actually on the board.
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.
Two bills moving through Ecuador's Assembly would redirect a 0.5% employer payroll contribution — currently flowing through IESS — to fund the Secap professional training agency. If you run an Ecuadorian business or employ anyone locally, this changes the math.
Ecuador's National Assembly approved a report (79-56-6) confirming organized crime has infiltrated municipal traffic agencies, weaponizing vehicle registration systems for 'legalizing criminal logistics.' Recommended reform: centralize registration under the national ANT.
Ecuador's May 3-18 curfew now covers 105 cantons across 9 provinces and 4 jurisdictions — including 17 cantons that have recorded zero homicides in all of 2026. Interior Minister Reimberg: no exceptions. Here's the updated list and what it means.
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.
SEPS data shows 12 Ecuadorian credit cooperatives were liquidated in 2025, with two more in process in early 2026 (Incoop in Ambato, Cariamanga in Loja). The sector still serves 7.6 million users, but the expat habit of parking USD in a cooperativa deserves a second look.
President Daniel Noboa announced a nightly curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am across nine provinces — including Pichincha, Guayas, Manabí, and El Oro — and four cantones, running May 3-18, 2026. Interior Minister John Reimberg has ruled out exceptions for any sector.
Ecuador's Interior Minister John Reimberg has publicly rejected requests from business sectors — including the Clúster Bananero del Ecuador — for exceptions to the May 3-18 curfew. His line: if anyone gets an exception, everyone does.
After system intermittencies on April 20, Ecuador's SRI has extended the income tax, VAT, and currency-outflow tax filing deadline to April 23 for taxpayers whose RUC ninth digit is 5 or 6. Filing late during the extension incurs no penalties, surcharges, or interest.
President Daniel Noboa announced cabinet changes on April 20, installing Jaime Bernabé Erazo as Minister of Health effective immediately. The Ministry of Environment and Energy will receive a new minister on April 30, with the current officeholder stepping down.