Ecuador Halts Oil Exports Amid Major Environmental Emergency

ECUADOR – A significant oil spill has disrupted drinking water supplies and threatened local ecosystems in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas province.

On March 18, 2025, Ecuador’s state-owned oil company declared an emergency and halted crude exports following a significant oil spill that has contaminated multiple rivers and left hundreds of thousands without drinking water.

This unprecedented situation began on March 13, when a landslide ruptured a pipeline in northwest Ecuador, leading to the spill of tens of thousands of barrels of oil.

The Ecuadorian state oil company, Petroecuador, declared a “force majeure” situation on Tuesday to postpone crude oil exports.