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Ecuador reference library
Background guides to Ecuador’s politics, economy, history, environment and everyday life.
Evergreen context for understanding the people, institutions and issues behind the news.
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102 articles
The Coca Codo Sinclair (CCS) hydroelectric plant, built by the Chinese firm Sinohydro, is Ecuador's largest infrastructure project and arguably its most controversial. As of April 2026, the project has reached a critical legal and technical crossroads. 🏗️ The Infrastructure at a Glance Located between the Napo and Sucumbíos provinces, the dam was designed to generate 1,500 MW, theoretically covering 30% of Ecuador's…
Read explainer →The recent difficulty in using foreign bank cards (US, European, etc.) at Cooperative ATMs (like JEP, Pilahuin Tío, or Alianza del Valle) is not a random technical glitch. It is the result of a significant regulatory overhaul that reached a critical implementation phase on March 1, 2026. 1. The "Tax Wall": SRI Resolution No. NAC-DGERCGC26-00000009 The most immediate cause is a new tax directive from the Internal Rev…
Read explainer →Understanding "El Niño Costero": An Explainer While the world often speaks of the "Global El Niño," Ecuador and Peru frequently deal with a more localized and often more intense phenomenon known as El Niño Costero (Coastal El Niño). Understanding this distinction is vital for residents of the Litoral and the Galápagos.
Series: Weather in Ecuador · Part 1
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As of February 19, 2026, the United States and Ecuador have substantially concluded negotiations for the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART). This bilateral pact marks a transition from unilateral trade preferences to a formalized, two-way market access framework. The following is an informative summary of the agreement's primary provisions and the associated economic trade-offs. 📈 Strategic Pros (Benefits) 1. Tarif…
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It’s a intense situation in Guayaquil right now. To help you get a clear picture of what’s happening, here is a breakdown of the recent fires and the national government’s intervention. The "Who, What, Where, When, How, and Why" What happened? A series of major fires has struck Guayaquil, the most devastating being a massive blaze at the Multicomercio building in the city center. The fire was so intense that it caus…
Read explainer →Portoviejo holds a prestigious spot in history as one of the oldest Spanish-founded cities in present-day Ecuador. Founded on March 12, 1535, it wasn't just a random settlement—it was a calculated move by the Spanish Empire to secure the coast. Why was Portoviejo Founded? The founding of San Gregorio de Portoviejo by Captain Francisco Pacheco was driven by three main goals: Strategic Control: The Spanish needed a ba…
Read explainer →Welcome to one of the most vibrant times of the year! If you’re heading into Carnival in Ecuador, you aren't just going to a party; you’re entering a nationwide water fight mixed with deep cultural traditions. The most important thing to know is that in Ecuador, Carnival is a contact sport. Whether you are in a sleek city high-rise or a dusty mountain village, the "playing" (playing with water, foam, and flour) is u…
Read explainer →If oil is the traditional engine of the Ecuadorian economy, shrimp is its modern heartbeat. As of 2026, Ecuador has solidified its position as the world’s largest shrimp exporter, outperforming massive competitors like India and Vietnam. For the average resident or investor, the shrimp industry isn't just about what's on the dinner plate—it is a $9 billion-a-year juggernaut that dictates everything from national sec…
Read explainer →If El Niño is the "marathon" of weather (lasting months or years), the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is the "sprint." It is a massive, fast-moving pulse of clouds and rain that circles the globe every 30 to 60 days. For people in Ecuador, the MJO is often the "hidden hand" behind a sudden week of torrential rain or a strangely dry "break" in the middle of the rainy season. 1. What is the MJO? The MJO is an eastwar…
Read explainer →Once called the "most difficult railway in the world," the Trans-Andean Railroad is more than just a set of tracks; it is the physical story of Ecuador’s struggle for unity. For years, the silence of its locomotives felt like a closing chapter in national history. However, as of January 2026, the steam whistles are finally blowing again.
Series: History of Ecuador · Part 6
Read explainer →To understand the trade war currently unfolding between Ecuador and Colombia, you have to understand the man on the other side of the border. Gustavo Petro is not just Colombia’s president; he is the most significant ideological shift in Colombian history. Here is an exploration of who Petro is, his "guerrilla to president" history, and why his friction with Daniel Noboa was almost inevitable. 1. The Background: Fro…
Read explainer →If you’ve noticed the headlines this week, the relationship between Ecuador and its northern neighbor, Colombia, has suddenly hit a freezing point. What started as a dispute over border security has rapidly escalated into a full-blown "tit-for-tat" trade war involving 30% tariffs, energy blackouts, and oil threats. Here is the deep dive into why this is happening, where the "battle lines" are drawn today, and what t…
Read explainer →In the tug-of-war for Ecuador’s coastline, the Humboldt Current and El Niño are the lead players. But as we start 2026, a third character—La Niña—is currently holding the rope. Here is the breakdown of why this battle matters for your wallet and your weekend plans, along with the latest forecast for the year ahead.
Series: Weather in Ecuador · Part 1
Read explainer →If you’ve spent any time wandering through an Ecuadorian market—from the historic stalls of Quito to the humid plazas of Portoviejo—you’ve likely encountered a specific, pungent aroma: a mix of crushed green herbs, floral cologne, and woodsmoke. You’ve stumbled upon the world of the Limpia (the "cleansing"). Far from being a hidden ritual, traditional healing is a visible, daily part of life here. It is a bridge bet…
Series: Traditional Ecuador · Part 1
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After Pichincha (1822), the big question wasn’t only “Spain is leaving.” It was: What replaces the empire? For the Quito highlands, the answer became Gran Colombia—a giant, fast-built republic meant to keep the independence project alive, pay for armies, and prevent the region from fragmenting into weak mini-states.
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 9
Read explainer →Introduction To understand why royalism lasted, it helps to drop the “movie version” where one side is purely heroic and the other is purely villain. For many people in the Audiencia of Quito (and across Spanish America), staying loyal to the Spanish monarchy felt like the safest path to order, jobs, religion, and basic predictability—especially when the alternative looked like uncertainty, civil conflict, or social…
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 8
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If Guayaquil 1820 was the revolution that started a new phase, Pichincha (24 May 1822) is the moment that made the new reality hard to reverse. It wasn’t just “a battle on a volcano.” It was the key move that let the independence coalition take Quito, end the last strong royalist hold in the region, and lock in a new political map—especially the link to Gran Colombia.
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 7
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Independence-era war in Ecuador isn’t best understood as “armies clash, someone wins.” It’s better understood as: Can you move people, food, animals, and gunpowder across extreme geography without your force collapsing? The Coast is humidity, rivers, and corridors. The Sierra is altitude, cold nights, narrow passes, and trails that can vanish in rain.
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 6
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After 9 October 1820, Guayaquil didn’t just gain a new flag—it gained a new daily question: What are we now? A city that lives by tides, customs stamps, and credit suddenly had to choose a future while still paying soldiers, keeping the port running, and not scaring families into panic. And the hardest part?
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 5
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If Quito’s revolution years felt like living inside uncertainty, Guayaquil in October 1820 feels like the opposite: a plan that actually lands. Not because everyone suddenly agreed—but because Guayaquil had three ingredients that matter in real-world revolutions: money (a port economy), organization (networks + timing), and control of the garrison before the city could be locked down.
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 4
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Think of the Sierra in 1810–1812 as a place where politics stops being “a document” and becomes messy living: you still need bread, candles, and work—but now you also need to know which authority is real today.
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 3
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Introduction In August 1809, Quito wasn’t just talking about politics—it was living inside it. News from Europe arrived late and in fragments, and people filled the gaps with rumors: the king is gone, Napoleon is in charge, soldiers are coming, someone has a list of names.
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 2
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A story about money, rules, and everyday friction—how small changes in taxes and trade made big ideas start to feel possible.
Series: Short History of Independence · Part 1
Read explainer →Here’s the situation, in a way that matches what you’re seeing on the ground: it wasn’t just “a billing tweak.” Ecuador is basically unwinding a long-running convenience system (garbage fee piggy-backing on the electric bill) and forcing municipalities (GADs) to use separate, legally cleaner collection methods. 1) What the old system was For years, many municipalities collected the garbage/solid-waste fee (often cal…
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