Ecuador

After sparking a violent crime wave with his 2024 prison escape, Ecuador's most wanted drug lord 'Fito' has been recaptured while facing extradition to the US for trafficking and homicide charges

In response to escalating gang violence, Ecuador has passed reforms that grant broader powers to security forces, enable direct asset seizures, and impose harsher penalties on organized crime

Ecuador has reelected Daniel Noboa with 55,8% of the vote, while rival Luisa Gonzalez has alleged electoral fraud and requested a recount, despite the electoral authority calling the result irreversible

A one-time $1.000 aid has been granted to people affected by heavy rains, as part of a broader emergency decree to support over 115.000 impacted people with financial relief and economic reactivation programs

A state of emergency has been declared in six provinces due to heavy rains that have caused nine deaths, nearly 900 displaced people, and significant damage to infrastructure, affecting 15.000 people and over 4.200 homes since January

A $470 monthly contribution to migrants returning voluntarily or being deported, alongside training programs and scholarships, have been announced by President Daniel Noboa just days before elections and amid US plans for mass deportations

President Noboa has named for a second time a temporary vice president amid ongoing tensions with elected VP Verónica Abad, who disputes her suspension and argues that Noboa’s actions are unconstitutional and aimed at blocking her succession