Ecuador News

By Ian Sample A groundbreaking theory of ageing that explains why people can suddenly become frail after reaching their 70s has raised the prospect of new therapies for the decline and diseases of old age. Researchers in Cambridge discovered a process that drives a “catastrophic” change in the composition of blood in older age, increasing...

Expecting a rocky start to 2022, Ecuadorian exporters say they are “more than pleased” with shipments in the first quarter of the year. “We didn’t know what to expect given the continuing pandemic and the war in Ukraine,” says Xavier Rosero, vice president of the Ecuador Exporters Federation (Fedexpor). “We had advised our members to...

The National Assembly voted Tuesday night to remove Guadalupe Llori as president, replacing her with Assembly Vice President Virgilio Saquicela. The motion for Llori’s dismissal received 81 votes, 11 more than the 70 necessary. According to the motion, Llori was removed for “breach of duty.” Most of Llori’s supporters boycotted the session, calling it “farce...

Ecuador and Mexico report “substantial progress” toward a free trade agreement following the  ninth round of negotiations held May 23 to 27 in Quito. Signing a final agreement is especially important for Ecuador as it will pave the way for its entrance into the Pacific Trade Alliance. “The negotiating teams of both countries held high-level...

Residents of the Puerto Alegre community near Otavalo took justice into their own hands Sunday, beating three suspected thieves and burning their car. “We have had enough of this criminality and won’t allow any more,” neighborhood leader Olander Manzano told a Radio Ilumán interviewer Monday. “We are sending a clear message to all the bad...

By Stephen Farrand Richard Carapaz turned 29 on the day of the final stage of the 2022 Giro d’Italia around Verona. His celebrations may have been bittersweet after victory escaped him and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) pulled on the maglia rosa, but he was still smiling after the final podium ceremony, with few regrets about his...

The effort to oust National Assembly President Guadalupe Llori hit another roadblock Friday when a Quito court ruled that Llori can ignore a report recommending her removal. The legal maneuver, requested by the Assembly’s Pachakutik bloc, of which Llori is a member, delays indefinitely the opposition’s effort to replace her. The Correista Union of Hope,...

President Guillermo Lasso said Wednesday that national law enforcement agencies need help from local governments to fight crime. “Ecuadorians tell us fighting crime should be the government’s top priority and I agree,” he said during a Wednesday television interview. “We are committing unprecedented resources to the effort, and will hire 30,000 more police officers this...

By Vanessa Buschschlüter Two indigenous activists from Ecuador who successfully fought against mining on their ancestral lands have won an international environmental prize. Alex Lucitante and Alexandra Narváez were awarded the Goldman Prize, which recognises grassroots activism. The two used drones and camera traps to document illegal mining on their ancestral land. Their evidence was...

Striking a markedly different tone toward the National Assembly than he did two months ago, President Guillermo Lasso said Tuesday that it is time to “cross the bridge toward new opportunities for Ecuador.” In his annual report to the nation at the National Assembly, Lasso also insisted that the country has “turned the corner” in...