Message for U.S. Citizens School and Business Closures and Significant Planned Electrical Outages - April 17, 2024

Alert: School and Business Closures and Significant Planned Electrical Outages

Location: Nationwide

Event: On April 17, 2024, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa issued a new decree suspending the school and workday for both public and private institutions on April 18 and 19. Some private businesses may remain open, but planned electrical outages will significantly impact the availability of services.

The United States Embassy and Consulate in Ecuador will remain open; all consular appointments remain as scheduled.

The Government of Ecuador’s Ministry of Mines and Energy announced a series of planned electrical outages across the country that began on April 16, 2024 and will continue until otherwise announced by the Government of Ecuador. Electrical outages vary based on zone.

Outage schedules will be available on each of Ecuador’s electrical power provider’s websites. Electrical outage schedules posted on the provider’s websites may not be exact and outages may be intermittent and unpredictable. Be aware that power cuts may affect traffic lights, power in buildings (including elevators) that do not have independent generators, cellular service, and the internet.

Shopping centers and restaurants may not be open during a power outage.

Actions to Take:
Monitor announcements from the Ministry of Mines and Energy for information about electrical outages in your area.
For information about electrical outages in Quito, visit

https://www.eeq.com.ec/.
For information about electrical outages in Guayaquil, visit https://www.cnelep.gob.ec/.

Monitor ECU911 for information on road closures.
Track official communications from the Government of Ecuador for additional information and updates.

Follow credible media sources for accurate information on closures, electrical outages, and security threats.
Read previous security alerts at ec.usembassy.gov.
Review the Travel Advisory and safety and security information for Ecuador at Travel.State.Gov.

Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.

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Assistance:

U.S. Embassy Quito, Ecuador
+(593)(2) 398-5000
[email protected]

U.S. Consulate General Guayaquil, Ecuador
+(593)(4) 371-7000
[email protected]