Colombia Earthquake Response: A 7.4-magnitude quake struck western Colombia near San José del Palmar, killing at least 111 people and injuring dozens, with major damage reported across Pereira, Cali, Manizales and Quibdó; Colombia declared a national disaster and airports suspended operations, while the tremor was also felt in Ecuador. Ecuador–Colombia Cross-Border Watch: With Ecuador’s electricity and trade ties to Colombia back in focus, the new political alignment between Daniel Noboa and Abelardo de la Espriella could reshape border security and electricity export strategy after the quake. Security & Crime Trends in Ecuador: Ecuador’s National Police says violent deaths and serious crimes fell in 2026, but organized crime still drives most killings, keeping pressure on security deployments. FIFA Governance Fallout: UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF escalated their dispute with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino over the abandoned World Cup commercial rights stake sale, calling for an independent review and threatening tournament boycotts. Capital Markets: Ticketplus closed its IPO on NYSE American, raising $15m gross, signaling continued investor appetite for Latin America’s live-entertainment tech. Business Tech: Realpage launched the Lumina AI Suite, aiming to unify real estate operations and analytics under one governed intelligence platform. Ecuador Tourism (Seasonal): Humpback whale season is underway along Ecuador’s Pacific coast, boosting travel demand for whale-watching excursions. Ecuador Food Culture: A local spotlight on Ibarra’s helados tradition and Nube’s Ice Cream & Coffee Shop’s “helados con queso” shows how Ecuador’s flavors keep finding new audiences.