News

A large majority of Ecuadorian voters say they want a chance to vote on an amendement that would allow President Rafael Correa to seek another term in office. The most recent survey by the Cedatos/Gallup group showed that 78% of voters believe the question should be decided by a public vote, not by an act...

By Ruxandra Guidi When President Rafael Correa learned Pope Francis would visit Ecuador this summer he tweeted, “My joy is immense!” Correa has long been identified as a leftist and a humanist, but during his eight years in office, his Catholic faith has increasingly come to influence his policies on education, reproductive health, and poverty...

Although new tariffs on more than a third of Ecuador’s imported goods go into effect on Wednesday, some economists say that they may not last long. According to the government, the tariffs are needed to maintain a balance of payment with the country’s trading partners due to the drop of oil prices and a strengthening...

A United Nations committee for women’s rights is urging Ecuador to decriminalize abortion in cases of rape. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) says that the country’s policy is out of step with those of other countries and is a form of discrimination against women. Ecuador’s penal code, adopted in 2012,...

The governement announced on Friday that it will impose import tariffs of between 5% and 45% for 2,800 products, in a bid to mitigate effects of falling oil prices as well as a strengthening U.S. dollar. The 2,800 products represents about 35% of all imported products entering Ecuador. Minister of Foreign Trade Diego Aulestia said...

Following two days of meetings with President Rafael Correa and other government officials, business leaders say the government is listening and appears to be open to making changes to improve the business and investment climate in Ecuador. Business groups had requested the meeting to discuss a variety of issues, including government red tape, tariffs on...

Could Ecuador’s new electronic money system be a bust? Its critics say the first three days of its operation indicate just that. Although more than 200 businesses are enrolled in Ecuador’s new electronic money exchange system, the few that have implemented it say that the response has been disappointing since operations began last Thursday. Businesses...

President Rafael Correa is the second most popular president or prime minister in the world, according to the International Political Communication Association. The Madrid-based group says Russia’s Vladimir Putin ranks first with public support of 87% among Russians while Correa receives a favorable rating from 79% of Ecuadorians. The Communication Association used several polling services...