Latin America Current Events & News - Section » Ecuador

Latin America Current Events & News - Section » Ecuador:

Quito Ecuador: students at increased risk of robbery, assault in school zones

Elcomercio.com reported the following:
Students are at increased risk of being robbed and assaulted in a number of school zones in Quito and environs.
A number of methods are used by assailants to relieve students of their cell phones, smartphones, and tablets. Many thieves will be dressed as a student in a similar school uniform which leads the victim to being vulnerable.
Sometimes assailants are in vehicles along the street and work in conjunction with another gang member dressed like a student and approaches the victim, when the assailants jump out of the car and make threats with knives or guns.
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Statistics indicate that in 2011, there were 2,410 robberies of students reported. In 2012, the number was 2,415. So far in 2013, in the northern administrative zone of Quito, there have been 160 robberies of students recorded. Other statistics reveal that the overall number of victims of the age group 16 – 30 has increased substantially.
A police official indicated there is at least one known band of thieves which mark their victims outside of high schools.
Some victims have reported that they believe the robbers have informants in the school or school areas casing the students who have expensive items and then work in conjunction with assailants outside the school.
There have also been reports of robberies of individuals pretending to be street vendors.
http://latinamericacurrentevents.com/category/ecuador/

10 Best International Places to Retire

10 Best International Places to Retire - Ecuador #10 on the List: 

10. Ecuador, especially Cuenca. Cuenca is already a favorite place for many people to retire. This World Heritage Site was founded in 1557 and sits in the mountains at 8,000′, surrounded by 4 rivers. There are old cathedrals and an inviting wilderness to to explore. Many people come to Cuenca for the low cost of living, where a decent income from Social Security can support a nice lifestyle. Although there are parts of Ecuador that a lot of North Americans would not feel at home in, Cuenca is expatriate friendly.
For further reading
You can use our Directory to find lists of towns and communities within most of these countries. Note that we will be expanding our international city reviews in the coming months – suggestions and your experiences are encouraged.http://www.topretirements.com/blog/international-retirement/10-best-international-places-to-retire.html/comment-page-1/#comment-50801

Ecuador To Sell A Third Of Its Amazon Rainforest To Chinese Oil Companies

Ecuador is planning to auction off three million of the country's 8.1 million hectares of pristine Amazonian rainforest to Chinese oil companies, Jonathan Kaiman of The Guardian reports. The report comes as oil pollution forced neighboring Peru to declare an environmental state of emergency in its northern Amazon rainforest.
Ecuador owed China more than $7 billion — more than a tenth of its GDP — as of last summer.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ecuador-selling-its-rainforest-to-china-2013-3#ixzz2PBhpNHPF

Ecuador To Sell A Third Of Its Amazon Rainforest To Chinese Oil Companies Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ecuador-selling-its-rainforest-to-china-2013-3#ixzz2PBhOI8Ab

Argentine defiance in appeal of $1.4 billion debt ruling aims at unlikely Supreme Court win

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina –  With just hours to go before Argentina has to show its last cards in a billion-dollar debt showdown in the U.S. courts, President Cristina Fernandez seems to be keeping up her "we're going for more" motto. Her government is reportedly preparing a response that analysts say could lead the country into another catastrophic default.
Argentina has until midnight Friday to propose how it would satisfy a $1.4 billion judgment won by plaintiffs who have insisted for a decade on getting full payment in cash, plus interest and penalties, on sovereign debt that the country hasn't paid since its world-record default in 2002.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/29/argentine-defiance-in-appeal-14-billion-debt-ruling-aims-at-unlikely-supreme/#ixzz2P5LbA0K6

Salmon: Could Cyprus Go the Way of Ecuador?

Salmon: Could Cyprus Go the Way of Ecuador?By Felix Salmon 03/29/13 - 03:56 PM EDT

 NEW YORK (Reuters Blogs) -- A small country that has adopted a major global currency finds itself with massive debts and insolvent banks. Its only real hope is that it controls areas rich in hydrocarbons; the problem is that it has neither the wealth nor the expertise to exploit those hydrocarbons on its own. The result: It ends up essentially selling itself to an omnivorous global superpower that is interested only in access to resources rather than in domestic economic growth and prosperity. 

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11883579/1/salmon-could-cyprus-go-the-way-of-ecuador.html 

Peru Announces Military Draft as Govt Fights Traffickers, Rebels

Peru Announces Military Draft as Govt Fights Traffickers, Rebels: Written by Miriam Wells Thursday, 28 March 2013

The Peruvian government has reinstated a military draft in order to counter a shortfall of 30,000 personnel, as the country militarizes its fight against drug traffickers and Shining Path guerrillas. Armed forces commander Admiral Jose Cueto said a lottery system would be used to select men aged between 18 and 25 in May, reported the Associated Press. Parents and university students are exempt, and those selected can avoid service if they pay a $700 fine, sparking fierce criticism that the burden will fall almost entirely on the country's poor.: http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/peru-announces-military-draft-traffickers-rebels?utm_content=aggiecarter%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Peru+Announces+Military+Draft+as+Govt+Fights+Traffickers%2C+Rebels&utm_campaign=Weekly+InSight%3A+Vigilante+Standoff%3B+Gang+Trucecontent

BRICS leaders agree on joint development bank

The BRICS group of emerging economies has hammered out a deal to establish an infrastructure bank that will rival the Western-dominated World Bank.Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa met Wednesday, on the second day of the fifth BRICS summit in the South African city of Durban.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/27/295436/brics-nations-draw-up-joint-bank-deal/