Ecuador 

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Latest news on Ecuador, covering politics, the economy, security, the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, and life in Quito and Guayaquil.

Ecuador is a South American nation of more than 17 million people, straddling the equator between Colombia and Peru. Its geography ranges from Pacific coastal lowlands to the towering peaks of the Andes and the Amazon rainforest in the east. The Galapagos Islands, roughly 600 miles offshore, form part of the country's territory and are among its best-known assets for tourism and conservation. Quito, the capital, and Guayaquil, the largest city, anchor an economy that has used the US dollar as its official currency since 2000.

Ecuador's most pressing challenge is a security crisis driven by cocaine trafficking through its Pacific ports, with homicide rates among the highest in Latin America. President Daniel Noboa has pursued a militarised crackdown, declaring an internal armed conflict against gangs and deploying the armed forces to the streets and prisons. In November 2025, voters rejected his referendum proposal to lift the constitutional ban on foreign military bases, a significant setback for his push to deepen security cooperation with the United States. Human rights groups continue to raise concerns about abuses linked to the crackdown, even as the government points to periods of reduced violence.

Beyond politics, Ecuador's cultural life reflects its Indigenous, mestizo, and Afro-Ecuadorian heritage, from the textile markets of Otavalo to the Inti Raymi sun festival celebrated across the Andean highlands. In the Amazon, Indigenous communities including the Waorani continue to campaign against oil and mining expansion into ancestral territory, following a 2023 referendum that banned drilling in part of Yasuní National Park. On the Galapagos Islands, conservationists recently marked a milestone by returning giant tortoises to Floreana Island for the first time in more than 170 years. Ecuadorian cuisine, from ceviche to the Andean staple locro de papa, also features regularly among the country's most searched food topics.

Long before Spanish colonisation, the region formed part of the Inca Empire and was home to numerous Indigenous nations, a legacy still visible in Ecuador's languages and traditions. Ecuador gained independence from Spain in the early 19th century as part of Gran Colombia before becoming a separate republic. A severe banking crisis in the late 1990s wiped out savings and triggered mass emigration, prompting the government to adopt the US dollar as legal tender in 2000. That decision ended decades of high inflation and remains the defining feature of Ecuador's economy today, even as oil revenues decline and exports such as shrimp and cocoa grow in importance.

From presidential politics and the fight against organised crime to conservation efforts in the Galapagos and daily life in Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador offers a constantly evolving news landscape. Whether you are tracking economic reforms, security developments, or the country's Indigenous and Amazonian heritage, our NewsNow feed on Ecuador gathers the latest headlines from across the country. Stay informed with comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of the stories shaping this diverse South American nation.