Noboa appoints Salazar ambassador to Argentina; Ecuador holds talks with Chinese banks; Parque Calderón gets new tile, lighting; Non-oil exports surge

Finance Minister Sariha Moya says she received a “very positive response” in recent talks with major Chinese banks. The minister was in Beijing representing Ecuador at the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum earlier in month.

Among the topics discussed with bank directors were plans for improvement of highways and the development of new electric generation projects. Also under discussion, Moya said, were improving financing terms for these and future government projects, as well as for loans. “I made the point to the bank officials that economic stability has improved in Ecuador and that we expect impressive growth in 2025,” she said.

Parque Calderon in Cuenca.

Among the banks Moya visited were the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the Bank of China, the Development Bank of China (CDB), the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Noboa appoints Salazar ambassador to Argentina
Outgoing Attorney General Diana Salazar will be the new ambassador to Argentina. President Daniel Noboa announced the assignment Wednesday, a day after Salazar said she would leave the attorney general’s office at the end of the month.

According to Noboa, Salazar’s appointment has been approved by Argentine President Javier Milei.

In her resignation video, Salazar said she planned to live outside of Ecuador due to death threats she and her family have received. It was widely expected she would relocate to Argentina due to family connections and the fact that she spent four months of her recent pregnancy there.

Parque Calderón to get new tile and lighting
Parque Calderón will undergo major renovations, including replacement of the tile flooring and lighting fixtures. Xavier Aguirre, director of the city’s Historic Areas office said the project is intended to improve safety in Cuenca’s central plaza.

According to Aguirre, the current tile in the park is slippery in wet weather, resulting in numerous complaints from the public. “Over the years, there have been a number of injuries from people falling. The new tile, made from andesite, will correct the problem and also improve attractiveness,” he said. “The flooring will include accents of local marble and other rock material.”

The new lighting is intended to provide brighter and more consistent illumination throughout the park, Aguirre says.

Non-oil exports grow 29% in first quarter
Non-oil exports of Ecuadorian products surged to $6.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, a 29% increase from the corresponding period of 2024, the Ecuador Central Bank announced Monday.

Leading the growth were cocoa exports, up 161%, with sales of $1.33 billion. Shrimp exports increased 24%, to $1.9 billion, while banana exports were up 9%, to $1.1 billion.

The Central Bank reported that 65% of Ecuadorian exports ship to the U.S., EU and China. Although the U.S. is the primary destination for exports, the bank said that trade is increasing rapidly with the EU and China as a result of recent trade agreements.