Ecuador News

The National Assembly is scheduled to begin debate today on a report that recommends the impeachment of President Guillermo Lasso but its supporters do not appear to have the votes necessary for its adoption. The 291-page report, released by the Assembly’s Constitutional Guarantee Commission on November 6, lacked widespread support from the beginning. Two members...

Despite some improvement in recent years, Ecuador ranks 90th among 112 countries surveyed in the 2021 EF EPI English Proficiency Index. Giorgio Iemmolo, EF Director of Academic Standards, said the poor showing is due in part to the addition of 12 more countries in the latest survey but says Ecuador continues to suffer from a...

A group of friends took the body of their murdered pal out of his coffin to give him one last ride on a motorbike as a bizarre send-off in Ecuador. The body of Erick Cedeno was removed from its coffin by a group of his friends in Portoviejo, in Manabi Province. Cedeno, 21, died last...

The National Assembly’s Justice Commission has approved the draft of the Organic Law to Guarantee the Right to Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy, sending it to the full Assembly for debate and a vote. The legislation would allow abortion in cases of rape and when a woman’s life is at risk. The legislation is the response...

By Patrick Greenfield Ecuador’s highest court has ruled that plans to mine for copper and gold in a protected cloud forest are unconstitutional and violate the rights of nature. In a landmark ruling, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador decided that mining permits issued in Los Cedros, a protected area in the north-west of the country,...

By Rich Schapiro, Christine Romo and Santiago Cornejo The bulldozers rumble through after sunrise, clearing out massive amounts of trees in this remote and remarkable section of the Amazon rainforest. It’s a place where giant otters patrol the waterways and endangered white-bellied spider monkeys swing from tree to tree. Where a dazzling array of birds...

Tax reductions went into effect Wednesday for a variety of products and services, including cell phone plans, feminine hygiene products, diapers and a variety of medical devices and supplies. Taxes increased, however, for other products, including alcoholic beverages. The changes are included in the Economic Development and Fiscal Sustainability Law that went into after opposition...

Although no cases of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant have been found in Ecuador, Health Minister Ximena Garzón, says the country is prepared if it arrives. “We are currently sequencing positive test results that appear suspicious, especially of people who have recently returned from countries where Omicron has been detected.” Unlike countries in Europe and...

President Guillermo Lasso imposed new health restrictions Monday night as a precaution against the new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Omicron was first identified in South Africa two weeks ago but health experts say it has probably been circulating since early October. The new rules take effect Wednesday, December 1. Among measures announced by the president are...