Water level at Mazar reservoir is dropping rapidly; Six murdered in Puerto Lopez; Former VP Glas’ habeas corpus appeal denied; Motorcycle sales boom

The water level at the Mazar reservoir in eastern Azuay Province continues to drop rapidly, Ecuador’s Electric Corporation (CELEC) reports. A month ago, on November 30, the level stood at 2,153 meters above sea level. On Monday, it was 2,140.
CELEC also reports a dramatic reduction of inflow from the Rio Paute into the reservoir, from 89 cubic meters per second a year ago to 16 Monday afternoon.

The Mazar reservoir powers three hydroelectric plants that produce almost 40% of Ecuador’s electricity.

Soldiers are patrolling Puerto Lopez streets following Sunday’s murders.

According to CELEC consultant Ricardo Buitrón, the dry weather of the last six weeks has taken a “severe toll” on Mazar and other hydroelectric reservoirs. “It is not simply the low amounts of rainfall that have been the problem, it is the intensity of the sunshine and the low humidity that have increased the rate of evaporation. We are in the dry season but these are much drier conditions than usual.”

Buitrón believes the national power supply will be sufficient through most of January and possibly into February. “After that, we will need rain to replenish the water supply at Mazar and other hydro facilities to maintain optimal generation levels,” he says, adding that historically the rainy season begins in March.

Six murdered in Puerto Lopez
Gunmen killed six people, including a two-year-old girl, Sunday morning in Puerto Lopez. The murders took place in an open-air restaurant on the town’s malecon. The shooters escaped in a van and on two motorcycles.

According to police, the attack was the result of an internal dispute between criminal gangs.

Once a thriving seaside resort, most of the hotels and tourist restaurants in Puerto Lopez have closed due to gang violence. According to the crime monitoring service InSight Crime, a majority of the town’s fishing fleet in now engaged in illegal drug transport operations.

Following the murders, army troops began patrolling Puerto Lopez streets.

Former VP Glas’ habeas corpus appeal denied
Former vice president Jorge Glas’ will remain in the Encuentro Prison, a judge ruled Sunday. Glas, who is serving a prison term for corruption, had filed a habeas corpus appeal asking to be transferred to a hospital for treatment of multiple illnesses.

Glas’ attorneys claim the medical care in prison is inadequate and that Glas will die without hospital treatment.

Judge Jean Valverde ruled that Glas was receiving proper care in the prison and that the various conditions he suffers from, including depression and high blood pressure, do not require hospitalization outside of the prison.

On his lawyers’ claim that overcrowding in his prison cell is negatively affecting his health, Valverde ruled that his “prison accommodations were appropriate,” with adequate ventilation and access to outdoor areas.

Motorcycle sales are booming
In November, Ecuadorians bought 27,758 motorcycles, a 31% increase over November 2024 sales. For the year, motorcycle sales are up almost 26% from 2024, a trend dealers expect to continue in 2026.

“Motorcycles cost a fraction to buy and operate compared to cars and trucks, and for Ecuadorians on limited budgets they are the best means of transportation,” says Carlos Fernandez, a motorcycle importer in Quito. “We are following the trend in Colombia, where half the vehicles on the roads are motorcycles.”

According to a national motorcycle trade group, the top-selling brands are Shineray, made in China, Daytona (Japan) and Tuko (Duran, Ecuador).