America Ecuador The country has launched a debt buyback plan that will free up money to protect its Galapagos Islands; buying back bonds for a total of US$800 million, the state will refinance them more cheaply to then funnel the savings into the Galapagos
America Ecuador Ecuador has stopped receiving electricity from Colombia, with Colombian Minister of Mines and Energy, Andrés Camacho, stating that they've stopped exporting electricity to Ecuador as thermal power generation is at its maximum capacity
America Ecuador Ecuador's government increased the value-added tax VAT from 12% to 15% at the beginning of this month, as a measure to finance the fight against organized crime, following a weekend with at least 28 murders
America Ecuador The US donated a Hercules military aircraft to Ecuador to help combat the rising violence from criminal gangs linked to drug trafficking; the aircraft was originally scheduled for delivery in 2026 but was expedited by 2 years
America Ecuador President Daniel Noboa has extended the state of emergency for another 30 days, totalling 90 days, citing the need to maintain patrols in prisons and violent areas to reduce homicides amid escalating violence attributed to drug trafficking