Expats have experienced a lot of changes for the worse since 2007, according to a commentary just posted atop the welcome-page at the Day In Quito Blogspot website.
Let's take these an issue at a time, with the Day In Quito claims in bold....
Back in '07, you could buy a gas range or a washing machine for $200. A calefon or indoor water heater was $180. Try that now.
Major appliances have gone up a lot, partly due to high tariffs, some of which will be cut back in 2016. Refrigerators -- at least what I consider normal size -- now start at around $700 in most stores, although you might find some deals at a few places in El Centro in Quito. The water heater I bought last year cost about $350 and was well worth the cost by replacing a cheap model that had caused my Quito condo to flood.
Law and customs agents didn't used to treat any business that wanted to bring goods into Ecuador as an enemy of the state.
Well, that's an exaggeration. We're not getting reports that people are being locked up as enemies of Ecuador. Businesses that import large amounts of stuff for resale are probably being taxed more than years ago .. and that's to be expected, especially if their existence could hurt EC existing business on a level playing field.
Government didn't insist on what kind of appliances -- gas or electric -- should be used.
Yes, the government is promoting electricity these days, but the consumer can still find a way to get and use a gas range.
cccmedia in Quito
The Good Old Days For Expats... Are They Gone ?
Here are some additional claims from dayinquito.blogspot.com and my responses....
In the past you could stay in the country for 180 days on your tourist visa.
180 days of stay is still available these days for most North Americans, provided they obtain the tourist visa in advance through the nearest consulate.
The 90 days that USA and Canadian citizens receive at UIO or GYE airport is not a visa, but a T-3 tourist stamp.
Someone who comes from those countries on a tourist visa can add 180 days with a non-immigrant visa extension once in Ecuador.
Reg Civ had few service windows back in the day. Now there are more than 60 with countless legal advisers and supervisors.
More service windows! More experts and supervisors! And how is that a problem?
For a few dollars you could hire tramitadores to deal with the bureaucracy on your behalf.
Not sure what a "few dollars" means. Facilitators and attorneys are certainly available today although not necessarily at 2007 prices.
First they came for the smokers. Then they came for those who want to cook with gas ranges. Then they came for the gamblers.
Many of us health-conscious Expats are glad not to be exposed to cancer-causing second-hand smoke inside government buildings and EC restaurants.
The part about the gamblers is undeniably true. El Supremo persuaded la gente to ban the existing legal casinos around the country about four-and-a-half years ago via referendum. Ecuador is the only country in the modern world to ban legal table-game casinos that were already in operation, without reinstating some form of casino gaming within several years (Russia).
cccmedia in Quito
Just came from Ecuador Dec 2015. Visited Quito and Cuenca Both have great problems with car and bus emissions pollution. Air quality is not good. Lovely country otherwise.
Thanks for the other view, level headed views are good for the newbes in Ecuador.
CaptUIO wrote:Thanks for the other view, level headed views are good....
They came for the smokers...
Then they came for the gamblers...
Then they came for those who want to watch a traditional bullfight.
-- Day in Quito website
Yes, they shut down the bullfighter. The fancy-pantsed matador -- Spanish for "killer," from the verb matar.
He is no longer goring bulls at the Plaza de Toros in a deadly spectacle performed for a blood-thirsty audience. Calling it "traditional" does not make it any less than inhuman treatment of animals.
This "sport" should have been abolished centuries ago.
Good riddance.
cccmedia in Quito
Labor laws are now so rigid, it's out of the question for the middle class to have help.
-- Day in Quito website
It became nearly impossible to fire a lazy full-time worker without paying stiff penalties, and there were new requirements imposed involving insurance and paperwork.
That was bad news for folks seeking full-time work as domestics.
I don't cry for the employers, however. Middle-class families can still hire occasional help and clean house a bit themselves .. between professional cleanings.
As for the upper class, they can still afford full-time help.
cccmedia in Quito
During the election of November, the citizens were asked to vote on the bullfighting issue. Hence, it became a local option. I don't remember the exact results, but would guess that it is still legal in certain areas of Ecuador.
From this article of just 10 days ago it would seem the corrida de toros is still legal in Quito:
http://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2015 … ones-quito
I couldn't agree more with you, CCC, about all of your comments, especially the smoking and the bull fighting. What a cruel, barbaric "sport"!
OsageArcher wrote:From this article of just 10 days ago it would seem the corrida de toros is still legal in Quito:
http://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2015 … ones-quito
There were 2011 national referenda on casino gambling, killing animals for spectacle and other issues.
The gambling issue was clear -- the casinos were voted down by the public and closed.
The bull-fighting/killing-for-spectacle referendum's wording was unclear. Although the ban on spectacle killing was approved, bulls were not mentioned in the wording and the matter was left to the politicians to decide.
In Quito, the bull-fighting was stopped except for the annual December days celebrating the founding of Quito.
This month, during the annual celebration, when bullfighting was taking place at Plaza de Toros in Quito, a famous Spanish bullfighter was badly gored and sent to hospital. He survived.
As is traditional when a bull gores a matador, a second matador stepped in and ritually killed the 'offending' bull.
cccmedia in Quito
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