Ecuador defeats Argentina in World Cup qualifier; City to release Loma Larga environmental report; Mayors sue the government for withholding payments

Ecuador upset world champion Argentina Tuesday night in Guayaquil in the final game of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Ecuador star Enner Valencia scored the only goal of the game with a penalty kick in the last minute of the first half. The victory was only the fourth for Ecuador against Argentina in World Cup qualifier competition.

While Argentina star Lionel Messi did not play, the Argentine side was otherwise at full strength for the game.

Members of Ecuador’s national football team celebrate following Tuesday night’s victory over Argentina in Guayaquil.

Valencia announced last week that Tuesday’s game would be his final World Cup qualifier appearance.

Both Argentina and Ecuador have qualified for next year’s World Cup to be played in Mexico, Canada and the United States, and rank first and second in final South American standings.

City to release Loma Larga environmental report
The Cuenca municipal council has voted to release the city’s environmental impact study of the Loma Larga mine. Compiled by utility company ETAPA, the report concludes that the mine, located in Quimsacocha, would pollute water and cause damage to the paramo ecosystem.

The Ministry of Mining criticized the report last month after it announced that Dundee Precious Metals had been authorized to begin mining at Loma Larga. The ministry claimed that its own environmental study had determined that the mine would cause only “minimal damage” and the ETAPA report was “politically motivated” and inaccurate.

The mine faces growing opposition and is opposed by the city of Cuenca as well as the prefecture of Azuay Province. A protest march against the project is planned for Tuesday, September 16, in Cuenca.

Mayors sue the government for back payments
The mayors of Ecuador’s 222 municipalities voted last week to sue the national government for a delay in payment of almost $650 million to local governments. According to the suit filed with the Constitutional Court, the government is as much as four months late transferring funds, making it difficult for cities to pay employees and maintain essential services.

In the suit, The Association of Ecuadorian Municipalities claims the government is violating the constitutional rule of municipal autonomy by delaying payments. “This is money collected in local jurisdictions that is mandated to be returned to those jurisdictions,” the association says.

According to the association, the suit has the unanimous support of the country’s mayors.

UN says attacks on the high court are ‘dangerous and unacceptable’
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is calling the attacks on Ecuador’s Constitutional Court by the government “dangerous and unacceptable.”

Volker Turk said Monday that “strident criticism” of the court by President Daniel Noboa and other government officials is a “threat to the democratic principle of the separation of the powers of state.” He added that the accumulation of power in one branch of government leads to a reduction in human rights for citizens.

In a session of the International Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Turk also issued warnings to 14 other countries, including Israel and Russia, for human rights violations.