Latest news in Ecuador? September 3rd, 2026

The key developments and top news stories reported in Ecuador as of September 3, 2026:

• Military Support for Police Enters into Force: A new law regulating complementary operational assistance by the Armed Forces to the National Police has officially taken effect following publication in the Official Registry. It provides the formal legal framework for joint military-police operations targeting organized crime and drug cartels.
• Preparations for Upcoming Local Elections: Ecuador’s National Electoral Council (CNE) selected voting-board members across the provinces for early local elections scheduled for November 29, 2026. Concurrently, the CNE enabled digital tools for paying electoral fines online, while candidate registration disputesnotably involving Luisa González in Manabíremain under review by the Electoral Disputes Tribunal.
• National Assembly Legislative Deadlocks: The National Assembly suspended final debates on critical reforms to the Children and Adolescents Code due to a lack of consensus between the governing majority and opposition blocs.
• El Niño Climate Emergency and Agricultural Impact: Ecuador remains under heightened emergency alerts as extreme weather shifts linked to El Niño impact the country. Agricultural reports from early September show rainfall deficits affecting yields of minor-season maize and paddy crops along coastal regions (Manabí, Los Ríos, Guayas), raising cereal import needs.
• Judicial and Corruption Rulings: In late August, former President Lenín Moreno was sentenced to five years in prison by an Ecuadorian court in connection with the Sinohydro bribery investigation.