Ecuador: Family from Chicago living near Bahia de Caraquez, victims of home invasion – assault

On October 7, 2012, at 12:30 am, an expatriate couple from Chicago, Illinois and their thirteen-year-old daughter were asleep. In their newly constructed home, at a development outside of San Vicente Ecuador called “Palmas de Briceno”, three assailants broke into the residence through a window. Two of criminals were armed with handguns, and the third wore a mask. The development is located 17 km north of Bahía de Caráquez Ecuador.

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According to the husband, he was awoken by his wife’s screams. She had been pistol whipped after awakening to find a pistol aimed at her head. Another assailant pointed a gun at the husband and father and was ordered to silence his wife. The unarmed thug with the mask ordered the victim to give him the keys to the car. When he tried to tell the thief that he didn’t have the keys, the assailant went to a drawer and pulled them out.

The husband and father ushered his daughter and wife into a bathroom and briefly struggled with the assailants on the other side of the door to keep them from entering. The bandits stole electronic items, cash, cellphones and left in the victim’s vehicle. It was later found abandoned by police.

The victim and his family who reside in the only home in the development of about twenty seaside lots, tried to get assistance from an Ecuadorian living near the property without any luck. He attempted to get help without any luck an the sparsely driven road by the project. Then with limited time on his daughter’s phone, he put out an SOS on Facebook, on the Expat group for Ecuador. One of his friends realized what was going on and help coordinate the police to arrive about an hour and half later. The victim attempted to call the fire department in San Vicente but because of his limited Spanish, they hung up on him. Finally he made contact with the police department and attempted to get directions to the property.


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A fire truck and police arrived. With no stretcher, they constructed a makeshift unit with bamboo poles and a sheet to get her to a pickup truck. She was then transported to a hospital in Bahia Carquez where she received treatment for non life threatening injuries. She has been released from the hospital.

The wife is now home with her daughter and husband who were not injured. He submitted to authorities that he believed that the assault may have been an inside job from one of the contractors working on the house. He believed that with only one of the men wearing a mask and knowing where the car keys were, that it pointed to someone with knowledge of the house. When the husband and father was asked if they planned on staying or leaving Ecuador, he responded that the family had not discussed that topic yet.
Ecuador: Expat from Chicago tells story of home invasion at beach home, near Bahia de Caraquez

NOTE: The picture of the home was obtained at Ecuadorliving.com website which has a posting for the development.

Map is location of San Vicente Ecuador/The development named in the article is located near San Vicente.
SOURCE OF PICTURE: Ecuadorliving.com

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Several arrested after drugs from Ecuador entered Belgium and the Netherlands

In a container transporting a coffee shipment from Ecuador to Europe, officials discovered 2.3 tons of cocaine. According to Hoy.com, the shipment departed from the port of Guayaquil, arrived at the port of Antwerp in Belgium, and then made its way to the port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The drug operation was linked to the […]

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Seven drug laboratories dismantled along Colombia-Ecuador border

Seven people were arrested after officials dismantled seven illegal drug laboratories along the border between Colombia and Ecuador. In the Ecuadorian town of San Lorenzo, officials discovered an illicit chemicals marketing scheme was operating under the cover of a lumber company. According to El Nacional, the supplies were taken to Colombia to produce drugs, where […]

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462 grams of heroin found in post office in Ecuador; Meant to go overseas

462 grams of heroin derived from cocaine were found in a package meant to be shipped from Ecuador to a location overseas. It was discovered in a post office, El Mercurio reports. Officials do not know who sent the package, or who was to receive it. This type of drug is priced too high for […]

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Seven Guatemalans and five Ecuadorians arrested after cocaine found on jet

Seven Guatemalans and five Ecuadorians were arrested after officials discovered 405 kilos of cocaine inside a private jet. The five Ecuadorians were crew members on the plane, Siglo 21 reports. The other suspects claimed to be unemployed, and that they had travelled to Ecuador for work training. The suspects and the drugs were found inside […]

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Colombia begins manual coca eradication along Ecuadorian border

Colombian officials hope to eradicate 5,000 hectares of illegal coca plantations along the Ecuadorian border by October 15, 2012. This plan calls for manual destruction of the crops, according to Fox News Latino. The areas in focus include Narino, Putumayo, and Guaviare, where officials say coca production increased dramatically between 2010 and 2011. In 2007, Colombian […]

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Seven drug laboratories found along border between Ecuador and Colombia

Seven drug laboratories along the border between Ecuador and Colombia were found and destroyed in a joint operation. According to La Hora, the discovery of the laboratories dealt a blow to a network that produced drugs with coca leaves from Colombia and chemicals from Ecuador. Officials determined that around 60 kilos of drugs had been […]

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Ecuador: Three Colombian women caught in prostitution ring

Two Colombian women, 19 and 14, were arrested after officials caught them in a prostitution operation in Ecuador. They were travelling to a nightclub in the north of Ibarra to work, El Norte reports. The women were discovered during a routine traffic check after displaying suspicious behavior. Officials also noticed their Colombian accents. The two […]

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Fishermen from Ecuador traffick cocaine to Costa Rica; Caught by U.S. Coast Guard

Four fishermen from Ecuador were captured by members of the United States Coast Guard with 360 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. The drugs were found on board a boat named “Santa Martha,” La Hora reports, and was headed toward Costa Rica. The vessel had departed from the Esmeraldas province. The suspects claimed they were hired to […]

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1,500 kilos of drugs shipped from Ecuador to the Americas, Europe, and Asia this year

1,484.9 kilos of drugs have been seized in various locations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia so far in 2012. The total value of these drugs is valued at over $190 million, El Universo reports. Several notable seizures include one that took place in the Milan, Italy airport in January, when police arrested five people […]

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Cocaine shipped from Ecuador discovered in Hong Kong; Officials deny drug route

Customs officials in Hong Kong announced the seizure of 649 kilos of cocaine, the largest drug discovery ever made in the city. The drugs were found inside a truck that was traveling to the industrial zone of the city, Diario Hoy reports. The shipment had arrived in the country on a ship at the Kwai […]

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Marines arrest two Colombians, seize marijuana in Esmeraldas, Ecuador

The Marine Corps in Ecuador seized 430 kilograms of marijuana on a beach in the Esmeraldas province. The operation occurred in the town of Rocafuerte, according to a report published by El Telegrafo. Two Colombians were arrested during the seizure. Their names were not reported; however, one of the suspects was undocumented. Ecuador has seized […]

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41 kilograms of cocaine found in Belgium port; hidden in banana shipment from Ecuador

Police from Ecuador and Belgium helped to intercept a shipment of cocaine that arrived in the port of Antwerp. 41 kilograms of the drug had been hidden in a shipment of bananas that originated in Guayaquil,Ecuador, El Mundo reports. The cocaine had been transported in refrigerated containers on a merchant ship. An international agreement allowed […]

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113 kilos of cocaine seized in France, shipped from Ecuador

French police in the port of Le Havre seized 113 kilos of cocaine stored in three plastic bags that were hidden in containers transporting tuna cans. The shipment is believed to have originated in Ecuador, Andes reports. The cocaine is valued at seven million euros. Drug trafficking organizations have been known to use ports in […]

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Nearly a ton of cocaine confiscated in Ecuador; destined for U.S. and Europe

Raids on two houses in Guayas, Peru, revealed almost a ton of cocaine that was supposedly destined for the United States and Europe. Seven people were arrested during the operation, Radio Centro reports. In one of the houses, a laboratory was discovered, in which cocaine was hidden inside cans of tuna. Neighbors claimed to have […]

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Semi-submersible found near Puna Island, in Ecuador

A homemade semi-submersible was discovered hiding among weeds and mud on a small island, near Puna Island, in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The semi-submersible was approximately 15 meters long and 4 meters wide, according to a report released by El Universo. It was found on June 25, 2012 through a joint effort carried out […]

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Car crash reveals 300 kilograms of marijuana in Ecuador

Around 2:30 p.m. on June 17, 2012, a van crashed into a San Remo vehicle in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The van driver had run a stop sign. The accident occurred at Street 20 and Letamendi Street. The van was spotted with license plate number GPC-0364, El Universo reports When police arrived, they discovered 10 packages of […]

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Micro-trafficking in Quito, Ecuador a major challenge for the country

The anti-narcotics police in Quito, Ecuador admit there are at least 76 sectors within the capital where micro-scale drug trafficking is rampant. From January to May 2012, 250 anti-drug operations took place in the capital, during which 349 suspects were taken into custody, including 22 foreigners. During the same period in 2011, 40 people were […]

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Unidentified plane sighted in Colombia; linked to plane found in Ecuador

The Colombian Air Force detected an unidentified plane that resembled one found in a hangar in Santa Elena, Ecuador. One official stated the plane was sighted June 8, 2012, while another report claims the illegal flight was spotted June 2, according to El Commercio. An investigation officially began after Minister of the Interior José Serrano […]

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Bolivian dynamite sticks seized in Ecuador, used for illegal mining

The infantry brigade of the army in Ecuador discovered 1,047 sticks of dynamite, 533 detonation capsules, 1,250 meters of fuses, and 450 pounds of aluminum nitrate. 245 of the dynamite sticks are thought to originate in Bolivia. They were discovered in the Chuquiribamba parish, as well as the Chaguarpamba county in Ecuador, La Hora reports. […]

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Narco-trafficking is increasing in Ecuador, U.S. Department of State says

The anti-narcotics department in Ecuador has released statistics that show an increase in drug trafficking in the country. U.S. officials from the Department of State agree, Noticias Montreal reports. They claim many exterior criminal organizations are operating in Ecuador, such as Los Zetas and the Sinaloa cartels from Mexico, Russian and Chinese groups, and Colombian […]

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Ecuador and Colombia: Main origins of maritime drug trafficking to Central America

In 2005, the Southern Command of the United States began monitoring air and sea traffic to determine where illicit trafficking occurs in Latin America. It has determined that Ecuador and Colombia have seen the most maritime activity and claims these countries have more ships that are likely to be carrying drugs to Central America. In […]

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13% of drugs seized in Ecuador results from trafficking in Quito

From January to May of 2012, the anti-narcotics police force in the Quito area seized one ton and 603,858 grams of drugs. This is a result of 250 operations. This amount represents 13 percent of the national amount of seized drugs and includes 11 cases of significant quantities in Quito, El Comercio reports. Smaller quantities […]

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Interior Minister of Ecuador admits country is used for drug trafficking

José Serrano, Interior Minister of Ecuador, admitted in a public news interview that his country serves as an intermediary along an international drug route operated by exterior narco-traffickers. Serrano stated the drugs arrive from the north or south of the country and are then directed toward Mexico, Diario Norte reports. Many members of the cartels […]

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Interpol captures Ecuadorian in Guatemala, wanted in Peru for drug trafficking

Interpol captured Ecuadorian citizen William Alsivar Medina Rodríguez, 40, in Guatemala City on May 28, 2012. He was wanted in Peru for crimes against public health and drug trafficking, El Universo reports. The arrest occurred at the immigration office in Guatemala City, where Medina had been in the process of completing an application for residency […]

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Ecuador: Alleged Assassin Leader Murdered in Prison cell

According to eluniverso.com, 28 years old Cesar Alfonso Flores was found dead in his prison cell in Garcia Moreno this Sunday afternoon 1/15/2012. Flores was found with several stab wounds, two stab wounds in the neck and four in the chest. According to official Jose Serrano, the alleged leader of assassins Cesar Alfonso Flores Sarzosa, […]

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Ecuador Increases Fees for Citizenship Documents

On December 16th in Ecuador, prices for citizenship documents rose per ecuadortimes.net. IDs rose from $6 – $10 and $15 for a duplicate. Birth certificates rose from 50¢ to $2, and permission to leave Ecuador as well as marriage fees have risen from $6 to $50. Read Article

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Ecuador, escape to the top of the world at Ali Shungu Mountain Top Lodge

My name is Brandon Keene(*1) and I am part of that peculiar breed called a travel writer. I also write novels which for many years was a front for the work I did around the world as a dragoman trying to bring a little justice to the planet.   We write, we tell, and we share. […]

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Ecuadorian Air Force Suspends Shipment of Cheetah Planes

According to ElUniverso.com the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) has suspended the shipment of Cheetah fighter-bombers from South Africa until an investigation is concluded into an accident that injured an air force pilot on Monday, August 15th. Navy representatives say the pilot, Galo Alvarez, was able to land safely at the Taura Air Force Base after […]

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Ambato, Ecuador: Man Stabbed to Death

ElUniverso.com reports Alcides Ramirez, 57, was found with knife wounds to his heart in the sector of Minarica 2 to the south of Ambato. Officials from the Tungurahua prosecutor’s office say they are launching an investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the death of Ramirez. Police say Ramirez’s daughter who was living with her […]

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Guayaquil, Ecuador: Man Found Dead in Hotel Manhattan

According to ElUniverso.com a man was found at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, August 16th dead in a room at the Hotel Manhattan. Police say the man is Davis Torres Sano who checked into the room on Sunday night without identification and asked not to be disturbed until 10 a.m. on Monday. A hotel manager found […]

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Colombian – Ecuadorian Border: Shootout Leaves Young Ecuadorian Dead, Soldier Wounded

According to ElComercio.com a young Ecuadorian was willed and an Ecuadorian soldier wounded during a confrontation between the Ecuadorian military and a group of FARC guerillas located on the Colombian side of the San Miguel River. Officials say the confrontation occurred last Thursday, August 11th while a military patrol was performing control operations along the […]

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Argentina: Highest alcohol consuming nation in South America

The World Health Organization released recent figures placing Argentina, Guyana and Ecuador as the top three alcohol consuming nations in South America, according to andes.inco.ec. The report shows that the average person over 15 in the Americas consumes 8.7 liters of alcohol per year, 40% more that the global average of 6.2 liters a year. […]

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Guayaquil, Ecuador: Unidentified Body Found Along Side of Road

According to ElUniverso.com an unidentified body was found along the road la Costa at the 45-kilometer mark, today, Monday August 15th in the morning. Police say the body was shot many times and showed signs of torture with multiple bruises on the face and throughout the body. The body was transferred to the criminology lab […]

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Baños, Ecuador: Kayaking Guides Find Body of German Tourist in Pastaza River

According to ElUniverso.com a group of 20 tourists on a kayaking trip with the Adventure Ecuadorland agency found the body of the German tourist, Jonathan Simon, 21 who was carried away by the Pastaza River while trying to cross the dangerous waters near the waterfall El Pailon del Diablo. The three guides of the group […]

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Ecuadorian Air Force Pilot Hurt in Plane Explosion

According to ElUniverso.com Ecuadorian Air Force pilot, Galo Alvarez was seriously injured in a cabin explosion that occurred at 1 p.m. today, Monday August 15th. Authorities say the explosion occurred due to decompression in the cabin and not a crash. Alvarez was able to safety return to Taura air force base and was immediately transferred […]

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Cuenca, Ecuador: More Deaths Due to Altered Alcohol

ElComercio.com reports six people from the Cuencan parishes of Octavio Cordero, Banos and Victoria del Portete have died during the weekend and today, Monday August 15th from what officials believe is ingesting altered alcohol. Officials say the alcohol was purchased in Cuenca. Four of the deceased are from the same family and are believed to […]

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Ecuadorian Police Investigate 2 Networks of Crime Organizations

According to ElComercio.com the arrest of Dan D., a foreigner ten days ago, is an important break in bringing down an international crime organization involved in drug and weapons trafficking. Ecuadorian police say this man along with two accomplices who were also arrested, are important players in a crime network that carries out many illegal […]

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Ecuadorian Navy Finds Eight Tourists Missing At Sea

According to ElComercio.com the Ecuadorian Navy Coast Guard Directorate of Esmeraldas found eight tourists who remained missing at sea since Sunday, August 14th. Officials say the navy found the tourist group at 8 a.m. today. The group departed from Atacames at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday for a whale watching tour in a fiberglass boat. Officials […]

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Ecuadorian Coastal Alert Lowers to Yellow From Orange

According to ElComercio.com the Committee of Operations of National Emergencies (COEN) has changed the Ecuadorian costal alerts from orange to yellow. The new alert allows tourists on the coast to enter the ocean staying within the marked buoy zones and allows tourist boats to travel 4 miles from the port. However, authorities say the ban […]

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Ecuador: Various Government Pages Shutdown, Anonymous Overloads Servers

According to ElComercio.com Anonymous overloaded servers providing service to various government websites, causing them to shutdown or function with large difficulty on Wednesday August 10th. Anonymous has threatened the Ecuadorian government via Twitter and Facebook, of a cyber attack in the future. Authorities say the websites under went a Denial of Service attack (DDOS) which […]

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Quito, Ecuador: UNASE Operation Frees Rabi, Captors Demanded Ransom

According to ElUniverso.com the Anti-Kidnapping and Extortion Unit of the Ecuadorian police on August 4th, freed a Jewish Rabbi Yishak Tom Rotem Yosef after three days held by kidnappers. Police say his wife reported the rabbi’s kidnapping on the 1st of August when she received messages and a video in which the kidnappers demanded a […]

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Ecuador: Luxury Cars Get Environmental Tax Up to $1,248 Per Year

According to Andes.info.ec a new Tax Reform Pro Heath proposal includes a maximum environmental tax on luxury vehicles of $1,248 per year. Reportedly, this number is four times smaller than the $5,200 figure mentioned a month ago. The tax applies to vehicles that have a motor larger than 3,000 cubic centimeters. Vehicles with motors between […]

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Ecuador: Official Rule, Foreigners Requesting Residence Must Present Criminal Record

According to Vistazo.com the Ecuadorian Interior Ministry has presented a resolution stating foreigners, over 18 years old, obtaining visas of residence in Ecuador must submit a record of criminal history in the country where they resided for the past 5 years. This announcement came on August 2nd in the Official Register N. 504. To obtain […]

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Video: Anonymous Defends Freedom of Expression in Ecuador

Anonymous’ recent video defends the freedom of expression in Ecuador. According to elespectador.com, the video announces Operation Cóndor Libre (Operation Free Condor) in response to the legal action taken against the newspaper El Universo. On July 20th, three directors, and an editor of the newspaper were sentenced to 3 years of prison and a fine […]

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Ecuadorian President Says Colombia Agrees to Ratify Maritime Border

According to ElUniverso.com Colombia and Ecuador will begin a formal agreement to establish their maritime border. After meeting his counterpart in Lima for the inauguration of Peruvian president Ollanta Humala, Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa says they are both in agreement on the issue and that there is no controversy surrounding the matter. Correa says he […]

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Quito, Ecuador: Alarming Number of Minors Work on Streets as Vendors

Extra.ec reports a study by the Catholic University of Quito found that out of 5,643 street vendors, 1,093 are younger than 17 years old. Also, the study found that 64.4% of the vendors are men and 35.6% are women. The basis of the study was to find out the working conditions of the traders. The […]

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Ecuador: Assailants Use GPS Systems to Map Escape Routes

According to Expreso.ec police apprehended a robber that was involved with four other men in an assault on an Ecuadorian citizen who had just drawn $2,200 from the Bank of Guayaquil in the commercial center of California Park. Police say when they caught the fifth robber they discovered that the gang of robbers were using […]

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Ecuador: Anonymous Begin Operation Condor Libre, Response to El Universo

According to ElUniverso.com the group of Internet hackers, Anonymous, threatened yesterday, Wednesday August 3rd, to begin attacking Ecuadorian government websites in retaliation for limiting the freedom of expression and the ruling against the Ecuadorian news company, El Universo. Anonymous announced the threat of attacks via the website, YouTube, through uploaded videos. The group is calling […]

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U.S. Authorities Dismantle Internet Pedophile Network Throughout 14 Countries, Ecuador Included

According to Hoy.com.ec the United States announced today, Wednesday August 3rd, that they have dismantled an internet-based pedophile network reaching various countries including Ecuador. Officials have accused 72 people linked to the website of encouraging the sexual abuse of children. The authority’s investigation began in 2009, called “Operation Delago.” During the operation authorities arrested 52 […]

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Jambeli, Ecuador: Island Without Electricity After Ocean Storm

According to ElComercio.com an ocean storm that produced forceful waves left the island of Jambeli, in the canton of Santa Rose, without electricity around 3 a.m. today, Wednesday August 3rd. Officials say 21 electricity poles fell due to erosion and harsh ocean conditions from the storm. Personnel from the National Corporation of Electric Energy (CNEL) […]

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Manabi, Ecuador: Ammonia Leak in Plant Affects About 30 People

According to ElUniverso.com about 30 people in the community of El Verdun in the Tosagua canton in Manabi were affected by an ammonia leak in a shrimp plant that was closed 12 years ago. Authorities say the incident was reported on Tuesday, August 2nd around 6 a.m. when people were beginning to suffer symptoms from […]

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Montecristi, Ecuador: Paramilitary Style Cocaine Lab Discovered by Police

According to ElComercio.com the cocaine lab discovered this past weekend, was built in the style of a paramilitary drug distribution center. Ecuadorian National Police say they discovered tunnels for escape routes, underground storage bays for chemicals, refined cocaine and military-type weapons. Police discovered the laboratory in the zone of Rio Bravo in the canton of […]

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Santo Domingo, Ecuador: Sympathizers of Seven Council Members Take Municipality Building

According to ElComercio.com supporters of seven council member of La Concordia in Esmeraldas took the municipality building at 5:30 today, Tuesday August 2nd. The mayor, Walter Ocampo was not in the building at the time of the incident, but reported that the protesters stormed the building, broke windows and doors and attacked employees. El Comercio […]

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Quito, Ecuador: Rain Paralyzes Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Floods Streets

According to ElUniverso.com Quito is being affected by paralyzing rain that fell yesterday, Monday August 1st, flooding parts of the capital city and affecting operations, for about an hour, at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport. Officials say the rain began around 4 p.m. Monday, adding to the rain that began falling on the city last […]

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Imbabura, Ecuador: One Week, 137 Indigenous Peoples Suffering Food Poisoning

According to ElUniverso.com in one week 137 people have contracted food poisoning from eating bad food in the canton of Imbabura. Health officials say the first cases of food poisoning occurred eight days ago when 58 people came down with salmonella poisoning after eating infected red meat in a local meat restaurant. The second case […]

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Chilean Mining Company to Start Exploration in Ecuador

According to ElComercio.com the Chilean state copper company, Codelco announced today, Monday August 1st, that it will begin mining project explorations in Ecuador with the help of Ecuador’s ENAMI and other private firms. Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, says Ecuador is fairly new to metal mining and their copper mining knowledge could […]

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U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil Denounces Online Money Scam

According to ElComercio.com the Guayas Prosecutors Office is continuing with the investigation into an online wire fraud case that used the name of the U.S. Consulate in illegal business transactions. Four months ago U.S. Consulate officials denounced the alleged online scam. The Guayas prosecutor says when a person put their house on sale they would […]

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Sucumbios, Ecuador: Seven People Die in Landslide

According to EcuaVisa.com seven people have died in a landslide that occurred in the province of Sucumbios bordering Colombia on Monday July 25th. Local medical officials report two girls, 12 and 2 years old are included in the report of seven people killed. Officials’ report the landslide occurred in the town of Fama at 8:45 […]

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Manabi, Ecuador: Police Find Cocaine Lab

ElComercio.com reports Ecuadorian police discovered a lab dedicated to cocaine preparation today, Monday August 1st in an undercover operation in the province of Manabi. Officers say members of the Anti-Narcotics unit found the lab in a house in the zone of Montecristi. An unidentified officer says one person was arrested while weapons and chemicals were […]

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New York: 11-Year Sentence for 4th Assailant of Ecuadorian, Left in Coma

According to ElUniverso.com a New York judge in White Plains sentenced the fourth assailant in a gang attack on an Ecuadorian man to 11 years in prison on Wednesday July 27th. On March 15, 2010 Julio Serrano was beaten by four people, which put him in a coma for three weeks. Jarron Slight, one of […]

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Ecuador: 34.7% of Assaults Unreported Due to Distrust in Justice System

According to ElComercio.com a survey completed in Quito by the Observatory of Metropolitan Citizen Security (OMSC) in 4,000 houses during January 2011, reveals that 80% of assaults go unreported. The survey reports 34.7% of the assaults are unreported due to judicial system distrust and 15.7% due to distrust of police. The director of OMSC says […]

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Guayaquil, Ecuador: Cool, Cloudy Weekend

ElComercio.com reports that this past weekend the Ecuadorian coast has experienced cloudy skies and a drop in temperatures, which is supposed to end today, Monday August 1st. The Naval Oceanographic Institute (Inocar) says the coast will experience wave forces at 12 nautical miles. Authorities say the cantons of Puerto Bolivar, La Libertad and the Galapagos […]

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Ecuador: Pan-American Highway Transit Resumed Between Ibarra and Tulcan

According to ElComercio.com transit was blocked on the Pan-American Highway between the towns of Ibarra and Tulcan, a sector called Chota Valley, at 7 a.m. this morning, Monday August 1st. El Comercio reports that resident of the Afro-Ecuadorian community of Tumbatu blocked the highway with tree branches that contained thorns to protest the governments unfulfilled […]

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Ecuador: Reventador Volcano Increases Activity, More Sediment

According to Ecuadorenvivo.com the Reventador Volcano located 100 kilometers from Ecuador’s capital city, Quito is increasing in systematic activity. Officials from the Geophysics Institute (IG) say sediments are accumulating in the volcano’s crater due to the increase in activity. A seismologist at IG says that there is moderate activity of the volcano and no cause […]

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Rio Napo, Ecuador: Soldier Dies, Authorities Investigating

According to EcuadorInMediato.com the Ecuadorian military announced the death of the Corporal Ivan Marcelo Gadbay Naranjo of the Special Operations Battalion and commander of the Panacocha Unit on Thursday July 21st. Army officials say Naranjo was located between the provinces of Sucumbios and Orellana. Authorities are investigating the incident, which due to preliminary investigations has […]

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Press from 7 South American Countries Stand With EL UNIVERSO

According to ElUniverso.com seven press associations from South American countries stand with the Ecuadorian press organization, El Universo, condemning the attack on freedom of expression by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. On the 20th of July an Ecuadorian court found El Universo opinion editor and three directors guilty of slander against Correa, sentencing them to three […]

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Ecuador: New Electricity Rates Begin in August 2011

According to ElNorte.ec the government will begin charging the new electricity rates, without subsidies for those who exceed more than 500 kW/h per month. The director of marketing at Emelnorte says the new system of electricity prices will provide more efficiency to the residential sector. Emerlnorte officials say only 375 subscribers use more than 500 […]

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Ecuador: Papers Leave Opinion Section Blank in Protest of Presidential Censorship

According to America.Infobae.com the Ecuadorian newspapers El Comercio and Hoy altered their papers to protest a ruling that incarcerates three directors of the news organization, El Universo for three years and payment of a fee totaling $42 million. The ruling came after a journalist for El Universo wrote an opinion piece about Rafael Correa’s governmental […]

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Shootout in South of Quito, Ecuador Leaves One Dead, Three Wounded

ElComercio.com reports around 6 p.m. on Monday, July 25th, five men and a woman tried to rob an armored car that was transferring money from a bank located in a mall in the south of Quito. Witnesses say the security personal were attacked at the entrance of the bank as they were leaving with the […]

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Guayaquil, Ecuador: Assaults at Traffic Lights Worsen

According to ElComercio.com in Guayaquil robbers are more likely to target women traveling alone for traffic light robberies. The Prosecutor’s office in Guayaquil say robbers frequent congested urban streets and conceal themselves among the trading stands in the median. Guayas officials caution people traveling on the avenues of America, Quito, and Juan Tanca Marengo, especially […]

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Azuay and Tungurahua, Ecuador: More Deaths Due To Altered Alcohol

According to ElComercio.com, authorities in Azuay and Tungurahua provinces confirmed the death of four people from methanol in alcohol on Monday July 25th. Officials say this bring the total methanol-alcohol related deaths to 32. Health officials in Los Rios say they have recorded 20 deaths due to alcohol containing methanol. Cuencan health officials’ say three […]

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Portoviejo, Ecuador: 30 Months, 5 People Shot, Killed in El Rodeo Prison

According to ElUniverso.com between January of 2009 and July 2011 five people have been killed at gunpoint in the correction facility of El Rodeo. Officials say during this time seven people have been seriously injured. This report comes after five people were injured on Friday, July 22nd in what officials say was a gang confrontation. […]

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Missing Student Found in Ecuadorian Hospital

•Migual Ángel Nuñez, the Colombian student reported missing has been found in a hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador recently. •He was robbed and drugged with a substance that may be scopolamine as revealed by rcnradio.com. •He is currently in a stable condition, but still in a semiconscious state. Read Article

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Lima, Peru: Police Raid Human Trafficking Network Using Foreigner Prostitutes

According to ElComercio.pe Peruvian National Police raided a club in Lima on Saturday July 9th, finding 62 women being sexually exploited as prostitutes after being lured to Peru via the Internet. Police report the majority of women were from Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, while a group of them were from the Peruvian jungle. The […]

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Cañar, Ecuador: Police Foil Attempt to Send Package Fake Bills to U.S.

According to ElUniverso.com a package containing $70,100 in false United States dollar bills was caught being shipped from Cañar to Queens, New York. Cañar police say on Tuesday, July 19th a personal courier alerted them to a suspicious package bound for Queens. Police thought the package contained drugs, however when opened police found fake 100 […]

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Ibarra, Ecuador: Passengers of Bus Traveling Quito – Ibarra Assaulted

According to ElNorte.ec, passengers of the transportation cooperative, Aerotaxi were assaulted on the route from Quito to Ibarra, Thursday July 21st. Passengers say that four people, who boarded the bus in Calderon, did not look like criminals. However, passengers say that on the route between Tabacundo-Cajas, the four people took out weapons and began their […]

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Colombian Disappears in Ecuador, Family Reports

According to ElUniverso.com a 25 year-old Colombian has been reported missing in Ecuador. The story was first reported by www.elspectador.com. The website reports that Miguel Angel Nunez Riano was reported missing by family members today, after they did not have contact with him for a long period of time. Nunez arrived in Ecuador July 6th […]

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Tulcan, Ecuador: Falsified Pills Found in Raids

ElNorte.ec reports on Tuesday, July 19th altered medication was found in two houses in the south of Tulcan by the Ecuadorian National Police. Officials say a secret lab was also discovered. Police say tools and equipment for the manufacturing of altered medication were found in the two places. Additionally, police say in the first location […]

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Otavalo, Ecuador: 10,000 Tourists Arrive in July

According to ElNorte.ec tourism in Otavalo has increase significantly in the month of July, where authorities say about 10,000 tourists have made their way to the Plaza de Ponchos and other popular tourist sites in Otavalo. Officials say in previous years the tourist season picked up in August, but this year July seems to have […]

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Ecuador: El Universo Refuse Judges’ Sentence, Correa: Fines Go Toward Yasuni-ITT Park

ElComercio.com reports the lawyers for El Universo and the ex-columnist of the article, ‘No To Lies’ are rejecting a courts’ sentencing for slander against President Rafael Correa and his government. The three directors of El Universo and the columnist were sentenced to three years in prison and fines of $30 million and $10 million for […]

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Ecuador: 10,000 Bureaucrats Want To Use Forced Retirement Decree For Benefits

According to ElComercio.com the National Confederation of Public Servants (Conasep) calculated that about 10,000 bureaucrats are interested in the new decree, which announced a voluntary retirement due to age. Officials say article 81 of the Organic Law of Public Service (Losep) establishes that workers under the age of 70 can take advantage of the new […]

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Santa Domingo, Ecuador: Found Methanol Contaminated Alcohol

According to ElComercio.com the Provincial Health Department in Santa Domingo has confirmed that one of the four samples sent to the National Institute of Hygiene, Izquieta Perez, in Quito, has tested positive for methanol. The provincial director says the alcohol was from Alluriquin and that officials have been notified in order to proceed with investigations. […]

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Cuenca, Ecuador: Two Dead from Methanol Poisoning in Alcohol

According to ElComercio.com the Department of Health in Azuay confirmed the second death related to the poisoning of industrial alcohol. The Department also says that there are another two suspicious cases of alcohol poisoning being investigated. Officials say an autopsy of a resident of Cuenca has been completed and fluid tests found the presence of […]

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Ecuadorian newspaper appeals court decision

The Ecuadorian newspaper, El Universo, said it would appeal to fines and prison charges that a court ordered after the publication of a controversial article on President Rafeal Correa reported El Universal.mx. The court sentenced a former newspaper columnist and three directors to time in prison, as well as a 40 million dollar fine. The […]

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Ecuador: Human Trafficking by Russian Mafia

According to ElComercio.com human trafficking rings in Ecuador have links to the Russian mafia, which is confirmed by an undercover agent of the Ecuadorian Police. Officials add the Chinese mafia is also involved. A court-case is underway involving the company, Single Register of Taxpayers (RUC) that in 2009 offered a Russian citizen false identification papers […]

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Ecuador: Alcohol Prohibition Continues for 72 Hours in Los Rios

According to ElComercio.com the Ecuadorian government is extending the ‘Dry Law’ in the province of Los Rios. Officials say the law will be extended for an additional 72 hours, until Saturday, in the province where 20 people have died from altered liquor. Health authorities in Guayas province confirmed that another fatality occurred in the province […]

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Ecuador: 25 People Dead From Altered Alcohol

ElUniverso.com reports the Minister of Public Health announced on Tuesday, July 19th 25 people are dead from drinking altered alcohol, containing methanol in Ecuador. The vice-Minister of Health says the one of the latest deaths occurred in Milagro. He adds that blood tests are being administered to determine the amount of methanol in each person. […]

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Peru Will Experience Energy Deficit 2012, May Turn To Ecuador

According to ElComercio.com Peru faces a temporary energy deficit in 2012 and could ask Ecuador for help in importing electricity in the northern regions of Peru. The Minister of Energy and Mining, Pedro Sanchez made this announcement on Tuesday, July 19th. Officials say energy cuts are due to problems of drought and lack of rain. […]

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Ecuador’s Vice-Minister of Security, Criminal Background Checks for Permanent Visas

ElComercio.com reports the Ecuadorian vice-Minister of Security, Xavier Berrezueta announced this morning, Wednesday July 20th that foreigners applying for Ecuador’s permanent visas will have to undergo criminal background checks. The vice-Minister says the new rule began today, as well as revisions of current visas. Also, Berrezueta announced foreigners marrying in Ecuador would need to stay […]

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Galapagos Islands: Fishing Boat Detained Inside Reserve Area

According to ElComercio.com the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS) reported this afternoon the detention of a fishing vessel, Fer Mary I, while finishing fishing operations inside the 20-mile area of the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). Fer Mary I’s enrollment number is P-04-00608 and Manta is its port of registry. Officials say Galapagos sea rangers and […]

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Ecuador: Police Protection in Soccer Stadiums Extended 90 Days

According to ElComercio.com, the National Police will continue to provide protection around the outside and inside of Ecuador’s soccer stadiums. Interior Minister, Jose Serrano announced the extension in Guayaquil this afternoon, Tuesday July 19th. After the Minister approved an accord that says military officials cannot be located within sporting venues or locations of public performance […]

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Ecuador: Correa, Media’s Offer of Conciliation ‘Way to Late’

According to ElComercio.com the media organization, El Universo presented a proposal to rectify an opinion article entitled, ‘No a las mentiras,’ or ‘No to lying,’ today Tuesday July 19th. However, El Universo’s proposal was ‘very late’ according to Correa and was not accepted says the President attorney, Alembert Vera. Correa is asking for $80 million […]

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Ecuador: The Federation of Public Workers Opting for Strike

According to ElComercio.com the Federation of Public Workers in Ecuador has signaled, through their union representative, they are leaning toward going on strike. The union representative, Miguel Garcia says the decision comes after the government’s Executive Decree 813 that establishes obligatory or bought resignations for state workers. As of now, Garcia says the union has […]

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Quito, Ecuador: Two Bodies Found in South Quito Over Weekend

ElComercio.com reports that in the sector of Industrial Park – Barrio 11th of May, residents found two bodies on Saturday July 16th. Police say the bodies were of two men between the ages of 25 and 30, found face down dressed in casual clothes. Officials say preliminary investigation has found that the two died of […]

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Manta, Ecuador: Ecuadorian Sentenced to 20 Years for Murder of Foreigner

According to ElUniverso.com, Emilio Bowen was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of the United States citizen, Max Chamberly Madnick in Manta on November 3, 2009. Bowen’s defense attorney, Luigi Garcia confirmed the ruling, while saying it is impossible that Bowen killed Chamberly. Garcia says that Chamberly, an exchange student, whose family […]

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Otavalo, Ecuador: Police Confiscate 4,000 Liters of Rum

According to ElComercio.com Imbabura police confiscated 4,000 liters of rum in Otavalo on Monday, July 18th. National Police Commissioner Marianita Montalvo confirmed the report. The head of Imbabura police, Danilo Espinosa says operations of control will take place throughout the province for liquor sales that are not authorized. An owner of a liquor store where […]

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Latin America needs different financial structure

Ecuadorian economist Pedro Francisco Páez voices the need of a new financial architecture for Latin American countries in order to avoid crisis informed SDPnoticias.com. Paez insists that the design of a new currency and financial security, other than the IMF, will ultimately safeguard Latin America’s financial stability. Read article.

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Ecuador: Health Officials Offer Two Hypotheses for Alcohol Contamination

According to ElUniverso.com the meeting of Ecuadorian heath officials over the past weekend ended with two hypotheses concerning the altered alcohol that has cause 24 deaths in Ecuador. The first hypothesis is that the person who is responsible for making the alcohol is badly educated on how alcohol is made. The second is that the […]

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Official of Galapagos National Park Released from Job, 3 People Suspended

According to ElComercio.com after an investigation into financial irregularities in the Galapagos National Park administration, Gaby Cisneros Ribero was fired for neglecting the protection of personal passwords for accessing the system of Registry Control. Furthermore, Eddie Navarrete was suspended for 30 days without pay. Finally, Sandra Cobos and Carmen Estela were suspended for 15 days […]

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