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President Rafael Correa has defended Ecuador’s economic performance from opposition attacks, citing data from the Economic Commission of Latin America (ECLAC) that notes the country’s strong economic growth and reduction of poverty. “There’s no...
Correa says new U.S. plan attacks LatAm autonomy Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said on Saturday that a new U.S. government plan announced by President Barack Obama is intended to intervene and weaken Latin American governments. Correa said that Obama's intention...
The costs for municipal bus fares in Ecuador are probably headed higher, setting up a battle between riders, bus owners and city governments. Another point of contention is between the federal and municipal governments, as Quito is transferring authority for bus fares...
By Ernesto Talvi and Julia Ruiz Pozuelo After what has been an eventful 2013 for Latin America, and in light of the upcoming launch of the 2014 annual report “Macroeconomic Vulnerabilities in an Uncertain World: One Region, Three Latin Americas” on October...
An excruciating mosquito-borne illness that arrived less than a year ago in the Americas is raging across the region, leaping from the Caribbean to the Central and South American mainland, and infecting more than 1 million people. Some cases have already emerged in...
Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism is hoping that the country’s first PGA tour event will kindle interest in the sport and spur the development of new golf courses. The Ecuador Open, which began yesterday at the Quito Tennis and Golf Club, features 150 golf pros competing...
By Molly Guthrey After Bob and Diane Hall of St. Paul retired in 2008, they, like so many other Minnesotans, moved to the Southwest. "We decided to get out of the cold and go warm," Diane says. But the warmth in Nevada and then Arizona was too warm. "We hated the...
By Ana Belén Cordero The package of constitutional amendments presented by Ecuador’s ruling PAIS Alliance party to the country’s Constitutional Court has sparked a wave of amicus curiae appeals. The Court has so far received 10 third-party appeals to the 17 proposed...
By Rob Cox Turn on state television here, and within an hour or so a public service message will appear extolling the “Ecuadorian miracle” of President Rafael Correa. The advertisements highlight big new infrastructure projects and endorsements by experts,...
Eat more cuy! That's the mantra of a new program promoted by Ecuador’s Ministry of Agriculture that, if it's successful, will mean that not only will Ecuadorians be eating more of the tasty, cuddly little critters, but so will the rest of world. A two-day symposium on...
The government’s plan to wean consumers from subsidized LP gas appears to be faltering. When President Rafael Correa announced last year that gas subsidies would end, he said the government estimated that 3.5 million households would change to electric cooktops by...
A new penal code that went into effect three weeks ago has stiffened penalties for crimes ranging from murder to “undocumented private enrichment” to graffiti. The code defines 730 crimes in all, including 77 that did not exist before. The National Assembly says the...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that Ecuador has shown “significant economic and social progress” within the last decade. "Economic growth has averaged about 4.5% since 200, while inflation has decreased to about 3% a year,” an IMF report said....
Six months after it imposed trade restrictions on 292 products, Ecuador’s Ministry of Industries says imports have been reduced by 29%. Government officials and a number of economists say, however, that it is unlikely that the restrictions, which come in the form of...
By William K. Black Under the banner "Latin America News" the Wall Street Journal has poured out its pain that the people of Ecuador might reelect President Rafael Correa. The article is actually an editorial attacking Correa and the people of Ecuador for potentially...
President Rafael Correa reaffirmed this week that Ecuador’s use of the U.S. dollar as its official currency will continue "indefinitely." Although Correa said that the dollar was not his preferrence, he said that it had helped stabilized the national economy, spurred...
A magnitude-5.1 earthquake rocked Quito and the surrounding areas early Tuesday afternoon, causing tall buildings to sway and sending some people rushing into the streets. The government said three people were confirmed dead and eight injured outside Quito. A a 4.1...
A second prominent Ecuadorian politiician has thrown his support behind an effort to force a national referendum on a constitutional amendment to eliminate term limits for elected offices. The amendment would allow President Rafael Correa to seek a third full term as...
By James McKindley, Jr. The simple black-and-white advertisement, addressed to “whom it may concern” in all capitals, had a taunting, catch-me-if-you-can tone. The author said he could be served legal papers only in his native Ecuador and only in person. “It would...
Former Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrez says he will lead an effort to force a public referendum on the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the indefinite reelection of public officials, including the president. Gutierrez was elected president in...
