The Darwin Arch, a natural rock in the Ecuadorean Province of Galapagos, has collapsed due to “natural erosion,” the Ministry of the Environment and Water reported late on Monday.
Contrary to expectations, Guillermo Lasso Sunday surprisingly beat Andrés Arauz to become Ecuador's next president. Lasso, a conservative, was a sure winner in the evening as 97.91% of the votes were counted.
Ecuador raised the death toll from riots in four jails to 79, including 18 prisoners who were found dismembered at one site, one of the bloodiest outbreaks of prison violence in the country’s history.
The Ecuadorian police on Tuesday said at least 62 people had been killed in prison mutinies in three separate facilities. News of the violence comes as Ecuador struggles to deal with prison overcrowding and frequent violence between gangs.
Ecuadorean indigenous protesters arrived in Quito on Tuesday to demand a recount of the Feb. 7 presidential election after official results showed indigenous activist Yaku Perez did not advance to the runoff vote.
Ecuador's electoral authority announced on Sunday that conservative candidate Guillermo Lasso will dispute the presidential runoff next April after coming in second place in the fiercely disputed February 7 election. The third-placed finisher denounced fraud.
Ecuadorean presidential candidate Andres Arauz, and protegé of ex populist president Rafael Correa claimed victory in Sunday's election, although exit polls indicate he will face a runoff on 11 April, according to primary results.
The aircraft carrying Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno, the First Lady, and a delegation of top officials was forced to make an emergency landing on Saturday in Washington at the end of an official visit, the country's communications ministry announced.
Leaders of South America congratulated and celebrated the new United States administration on Wednesday as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were officially inaugurated.
Conflicts with indigenous communities have stalled operations at Ecuador's San Carlos Panantza copper mining project, which the government of President Lenin Moreno had long pointed to as an example of mining sector expansion that would generate US$ 40 billion in export revenue over the next decade.