Ecuador News

Ecuador has the second lowest level of trust in democracy among 18 Latin American countries. The Chilean social research center, Latinobarómetro, says that Ecuador and other countries showing diminished trust in democracy are in danger of accepting non-elected authoritarian governments. According to the Latinobarómetro survey, support for democratic regimes peaked in 2010 at 63 percent,...

Former President Lenin Moreno said Wednesday that he will not return to Ecuador despite a vote by the National Assembly that he come home immediately. The ex-president said he planned to remain in the U.S. to fulfill his recent appointment as Commissioner for Disability Affairs for the Organization of American States. With 100 of 137...

Minister of Health Ximena Garzón announced Wednesday that all Ecuadorians will be eligible to receive Covid-19 booster shots in January. Currently, only those over 65 and those with chronic illnesses can get them. “We will have sufficient doses for everyone who wants a booster in January,” Garzón said during a virtual press conference. “We will...

President Guillermo Lasso signed orders Tuesday granting the release from prison of those convicted of what he called “minor crimes” and those with terminal and chronic illnesses. It is not clear how many prisoners the orders affects although a government spokesman said it could be “several thousand.” According to human rights organizations, Ecuador’s prison system...

More reports of damage to buildings and roadways in Quito were received Tuesday afternoon and evening following the 11 a.m. 4.6 magnitude earthquake. City officials said most of the damage was minor although several buildings suffered serious structural damage. No injuries were reported. The earthquake that sent tens-of-thousands of workers and residents into the streets...

Ecuador health officials are crediting the high vaccination rate of high-risk population groups with bringing the Covid-19 pandemic under control. “We are intensifying out efforts to reach the unvaccinated but are very pleased with efforts to protect the elderly, the chronically ill and people who interact with the public, like health workers and teachers,” says...

By Grace Gavilanes If you told Diana Aguilar last year that she would be opening a quaint Ecuadorian café at the height of the pandemic, she would call you crazy. But that’s exactly what happened this past March when the proud Ecuadorian immigrant and her family set up shop in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood. “I didn’t...

“Living conditions are not good in Ecuador’s prison system and they are terrible in some cases,” Interior Minister Alexandra Vera said Thursday in a Tweet. She added that she expects the forthcoming investigation by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (IACHR) to confirm that fact. More than 300 prisoners have died in riots in the country’s...

Ecuador’s constitutional court judges traveled to the heart of the Amazon to hear indigenous communities defend their right to oppose mining projects in their territories during a historic hearing in the jungle. “We want our feelings to be heard and reflected in a document that guarantees the protection of our territories,” said Wider Guaramag, leader...