Just as the couple – who have chosen to use pseudonyms for this article – were settling into a new chapter in a more affordable country that offered interesting new travel opportunities – things took an unexpected turn.
Ecuador was plunged into a nationwide state of emergency after one of its most powerful drug lords escaped from prison and an “internal armed conflict” broke out as security forces took on criminal groups accused of spreading extreme violence. A nightly curfew was imposed and the US State Department cautioned travelers heading there.
From the outside, Ecuador now looked far from an ideal place to escape the pressures of life in their former US hometown, Albuquerque.
But despite ongoing political tensions, the couple say that they have no regrets about moving there and love their new lives.