Flag of Ecuador
SONORAMA'S ECUADOR RESOURCES PAGE
Flag of Ecuador
I am frequently asked questions along the lines of "where can I find out about such and such topic in Ecuador" or "how can I begin to research XYZ for my project/business plan/study." Hopefully this page can provide insights into some places you can investigate. Please contact me if you have resources to add to this page.
Bear in mind that Ecuador still suffers from a dearth of printed, factual resource guides or directories. However, a day (or more) of pounding the pavement visiting some of the places listed below can often bear fruitful results.
Expatriate Resources - coming soon
Note: I invite citizens and embassies of other countries to submit information on services of their governments in Ecuador.
Embassy of the United States of America
Av. La Patria y 12 de Octubre
Quito, Ecuador
phone: (593-2) 562-890, afterhours 561-749
The United States maintains an Embassy in Quito and a consulate in Guayaquil. Like government institutions everywhere, the embassy can be overly bureaucratic, difficult to deal with, imposing or unfriendly. However, if you know what to ask, and have some luck, you may find the U.S. mission in Ecuador to be a good starting point for certain types of research, particularly for those contemplating moving to Ecuador or doing business there. The following is not an official list of embassy services, but rather, a description of some nontraditional functions the embassy fulfills that I have found useful.
Keep in mind that while the embassy theoretically exists to serve any and all U.S. citizens in Ecuador, experience has shown that you will be served best if you make a professional, well kept presentation. Knowing the specific department to ask for and calling ahead for an appointment is also helpful - or you may not even make it past security !
The Commercial Section
Open mornings only; calling ahead for exact hours or an appointment recommended.
The embassy in Quito maintains a small commercial section. They can assist you with establishing contacts in Ecuador, locating suppliers and consumers of various products. They keep brochures from all types of companies offering products or services in Ecuador. They may assist you if you have what they consider a legitimate dispute or grievance with an Ecuadorian business or you have been treated unjustly by the Ecuadorian government. The commercial section can also refer you to other business organizations in Ecuador - such as the chamber of commerce, and other informal groups that emerge from time to time.
The Community Laison Office
A little-known part of the embassy that aspires to keep touch with the American expatriate community of Ecuador. If you are considering taking up residence in Ecuador for any reason, you could benefit from making an appointment with the "community laison officer". He or she can put you in touch with different organizations, schools or groups that Americans have formed in Ecuador, and perhaps provide some insights into the specifics of living in Ecuador and undertaking a particular activity. If you are seeking employment in Ecuador this may be a good base to start from - while the embassy obviously won't find you a job, it may put you in touch with people who can. In past years this office also has sponsored a 4th of July picnic.
Press Attaché
This office makes official communications of U.S. policy to the press. If you are a journalist or work for any type of news media, you can ask to be put on the embassy's press release list, or to request an interview with the press attaché.
Cultural Attaché
I am not familiar with the specifics of this office; however, if you are affiliated with a cultural organization in the U.S., such as a museum, theater, dance troupe, etc., and you wish to undertake an exchange or performance in Ecuador, this office might be of assistance.
Internal Revenue Service
As a United States citizen, you are required to file and pay income taxes even if all of your income was earned in another country and you live abroad full time. Sad but true - I'll spare further comment. For its part, the Internal Revenue Service provides an efficient and useful service for taxpayers in Ecuador each spring. Contact the embassy early in the year for the dates the IRS representative will be at the embassy and make an appointment. One year I made an appointment with the representative, brought all relevant documentation to the embassy, and in a little over an hour had my entire tax return completed. My case was simple, but the knowledge and service was comparable of that to a paid tax preparer. If you live abroad, your earnings up to a certain amount are tax exempt and there are special considerations for foreign taxes paid. The IRS representative can provide you useful information about these tax matters
(section will be expanded soon).
There are dozens of organizations, clubs, formal and informal groups in Ecuador that may be of interest to you. For inclusion in this guide, I have included those groups that are likely to appeal to a broad cross section of people, and in particular, those organizations that can provide useful information and resources on a number of topics
South American Explorers Club
The South American Explorers Club (SAEC) is an excellent resource for independent travellers and people coming to Ecuador on scientific or ecological expeditions. The Club maintains a house in Quito and can receive mail, messages, email, and even store luggage for members. But more valuable than these services, SAEC volunteers have a wealth of information of travelling to virtually every corner of Ecuador - they have seen the good, the bad and the ugly, and if you want to know who is a good climbing guide for Cotopaxi mountain, where the best place to learn Spanish is, or which unsafe hotels are best avoided you need only ask. The club also maintains a reading room, and has thousands of trip reports written by past members. SAEC is a membership organization open to persons of all nationalities and ages. Membership is currently $40 per year - a bargain for travelers, considering all of the benefits. The Quito clubhouse will admit non-members one time to receive information.
They're not like what you'd find elsewhere, but the following institutions will get your research going:
Lincoln Library
Operated by Fulbright Commission
Av. Juan León Mera y Santa Maria
Call U.S. embassy for hours
A small library, yet packed with books. Contains standard reference
works - encyclopedias, almanacs, maps, etc., found in many American libraries.
Also non-fiction works about Latin America and the United States and
other topics. Lending privledges available upon paying a small deposit.
Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) Library
Located at USFQ's new campus in Cumbayá (on the Via Interoceánica
) on the outskirts of Quito.
Hours vary by academic calander; call the University (593-2-355-723) or email
the univeristy for info.
A gem in Ecuador - a large lending library, with open stacks and the
largest collection of book in Ecuador (over 40,000). About 40% of the collection
is in English. The library also has a substantial periodical collection,
and even some historical books and a Chinese collection. The library is open
for anyone who wishes to browse or study amidst its vast collection; lending
is restricted to USFQ students.
Fundación Natura
Sorry - I don't have phone or address yet; contact South American Explorers
Club for this info.
The Fundación Natura, Ecuador's largest environmental group, maintains
a small library with ecology and science related texts and articles and Ecuador's
natural environment, mostly in Spanish. The reading room is open daily
and permits viewing the texts in that room. Copy service is available.
Call the Fundacion for hours.
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Page created April 4, 1998