*Ecuador’s central bank (BCE) has released new figures showing that country risk, which measures the uncertainty associated with investing in a country, has fallen to 1,321 points – down from 2,055 points at the start of the year. Country risk has been on a downwards trend since peaking on 9 January, when criminal gangs staged a nationwide armed uprising, and has fallen sharply since then amid a military crackdown on gangs. Whilst the latest figures suggest an improvement in Ecuador’s investment climate, major questions linger regarding the country’s ability to meet its debt repayment obligations. According to a Bloomberg report published on 1 March, President Daniel Noboa said during a private meeting with investors in New York that his government expects to reach a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in about two months.
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