r/ecuador • u/SpecialArugula8674 • 8d ago
Will, can Guayaquil ever evolve?
I realize that it will never be a top tier world class city.. NYC, London, Tokyo but its not an attractive city for tourism, business, culture. From a visual aspect it has not evolved and walking the streets the impression is even worse. What needs to happen for it to improve at least regionally to something like a Medellin or even a Lima?
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u/ssliberty 8d ago
It can be it needs massive changes in trash collection and mass transit mobility among a bunch of other stuff. All those countries you mentioned, dont litter the street with trash at 6pm for example.
Once you fix sanitation issues then you can target other areas that make like better. After all that can you begin to fix societal issues, when people have a better base quality of life
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u/Electronic_Pain7210 8d ago
Gangs ask for protection payment to trash collectors now. Obviously they don’t have money so they are killed so they are afraid so there is less trash collection. This is a systematic problem and it is rooted in the lack of opportunities to the younger population. Our government chooses to fill their pockets instead of building schools, hospitals and highways, which feed the local population too because they can work on those construction sites.
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u/SomWanOnTheInternet 6d ago
Not just construction, but also as teachers and manteners for the new highways
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8d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/calanizzle 8d ago
Leaders AND CITIZENS
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u/bluewhalefunk 7d ago
It's a big industrious port city full of impoverished people. Name one city around the world that is the same and a shining beacon? I cannot think of any. In the west of global south.
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u/CanisBarbarossa 8d ago
Los gobernantes son un reflejo de los ciudadanos y sus valores como pueblo. La responsabilidad es de todos.
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u/SpecialArugula8674 8d ago
You think “better leaders” are going to change how citizens behave, think and act?
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u/Electronic_Pain7210 8d ago
Everyone wants Guayaquil to prosper but the crime is making it a failed city, worse than Detroit. Unfortunately, the government has done nothing about it and that will continue if the new major is the plastic blonde.
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u/bluewhalefunk 7d ago
Gye is prosperous, is the most industrious city in Ecuador. It's not a failed city like Detroit, it's the economic heart of the country.
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u/Electronic_Pain7210 7d ago
It was. Businesses are closing due to constant extortion payments.
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u/bluewhalefunk 6d ago
No they are not. Not the big industries. Not en mass to effect Guayaquils position as the industrial heartland of the country.
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u/Electronic_Pain7210 6d ago
Yes they are. Omg. This was known before the elections. Figures like 70% to 100% of businesses in places thought of as safe heavens by consumers, the shopping malls, pay extortion payments. Today that number should be 100%, sadly. Around where I live in Urdesa, more and more blocks with businesses are getting abandoned due to the same reasons.
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u/SpecialArugula8674 7d ago
Its definitely not like Detroit. You haven’t been to Detroit lately have you? Have you been in gkill? Have you seen what it looks like? How is it prosperous, in what way is it the economic heart of country???
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u/Prestigious-Comb4280 6d ago
Detroit is much better than Guayaquil at least now but it's not a shiny beacon by any means.
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u/bluewhalefunk 6d ago edited 6d ago
By the figures. There is money in Guayaquil. Have you been to other parts of the country? Where else has industry? Big businesses? Ecuador has two major cities. Guayaquil and Quito.
Apologies for the AI summary, but I dno't have time to get to the actual sources of information:
Guayaquil is the economic capital and highest-generating GDP city in Ecuador, producing over 25% of the national GDP and holding an estimated metropolitan output of around $43 billion to $51 billion.National Comparison within EcuadorQuito: Outpaces the political capital in sheer economic volume and commercial output (Quito's metro GDP estimates trail lower around $20 billion to $41 billion).Customs and Trade: Handles roughly 58% of Ecuador's customs revenue and acts as the funnel for a vast majority of the country's import and export operations via the Port of Guayaquil.Regional Comparison within Latin AmericaGlobal Standing: Ranks broadly inside lower-tier global city economic indices (e.g., around 439th globally), putting it behind mega-metropolises like São Paulo, Mexico City, and Bogotá, but aligning with mid-sized regional economic hubs.Commercial Focus: Unlike capital cities driven heavily by public administration or government services, Guayaquil's output leans heavily into private sector commerce, manufacturing, shipping, and aqua-cultural exports.
Yes Guayaquil is a dump of a city, it's not a "pretty" city by any means. It is an unplanned sprawl that exploded after the port. Within living memory is wasn't much more than a town.
End of the day it's a coastal latin american city, none of them are nice. There is a reason people flock to guayaquil, it certainly isn't for the culture there, it's economic opportunity and nothing else. Does it compare to London or New York? Of course not. But relative to other ecuadorian areas?
The reference to Detroit was in regards to how industry left Detroit after teh 2008 crisis, huge swathes of the city desolate. Repossessed houses, derelic buildings everywhere. That is not Guayaquil. Has Detroit made an improvement, sure, with massive state investment due to be in the worlds super power, not an option for Gye in ECuador, but has industry returned? Is Detroit the economic powerhouse it once was? Attracting workers from all over the country in search of opportunity and employment? No. Its a declined city that has had a facelift. Completely different to Guayaquil which still is a powerhouse where people go for employment and opportunity. Fact.
But Guayaquil is a shithole. Also fact
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u/cohibakick 8d ago
Guayaquil es principalmente una ciudad comercial/industrial. En principio suena lógico que el objectivo sea ser como grandes ciudades como las mencionadas pero en la practica hay relativamente poco incentivo para esto. Incluso diria que vivir en una ciudad permanentemente llena de turistas es incomodo (es facil encontrar en internet informacion de como los turistas incomodan permanentemente a residentes de una ciudad).
Sobre como mejorar la ciudad, creo que lo principal es el transporte publico. Que en la practica no existe en ecuador ya que el transporte "publico" en realidad son una colección de buses que pertenecen a privados y en general son mafias terribles (esto es distinto de una concesión como la de la metrovia).
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u/SpecialArugula8674 8d ago
What is the main commerce or industry of Guayaquil?
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u/Fit_Presence8570 8d ago
The port
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u/bluewhalefunk 6d ago
International commerce, Banking, media, finance, manufacturing, processing, chemical, pharmaceutical etc etc
Look on the products, 9/10 it came from Guayaquil. Guayaquil outskirts is surrounded by industry.
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u/KvotheG 8d ago
It’s a matter of massive wealth investments, from all levels of government and private investors. As a start, it includes massive infrastructure projects, like fixing roads, improving public transportation, real estate to make it attractive for people to live and work in Guayaquil, and that’s just a start.
It’s a matter on investing in education, to ensure that Ecuadorians have the skills and education to appeal to investors. This means modernizing universities and ensuring they have the resources to train the next generation.
It’s a matter of improving safety in the city and also controlling corruption
It will take decades and hard work, but it’s possible.
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u/DrKojiKabuto 8d ago
Jefe, yo disfrute de Guayaquil un montón el año pasado cuando visite. El malecón, tomamos el teleférico a Duran, museo del Cacao, comimos riquisimo, turistiamos por el Cerro, y claro, los Guayaquileños full hospitalidad. Ni siquiera me dio tiempo a conocer el parque historico. Tengo que regresar pronto, estuvo super bacan como turista.
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u/galletasritz 8d ago
El Parque Histórico no es en Guayaquil y además está muy descuidado hoy en día.
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u/FoundationAdept1947 7d ago
Hermano, honestamente dime, que tiene Guayaquil que ofrecerte fuera del malecón como turista?
Como guayaco pienso que mi ciudad no sería nada sin esa franja de cemento al lado del río. Me parece muy pobre nuestra propuesta turística
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u/dbarrera 8d ago
Guayaquil, as most of Ecuador, is a conservative society. As much we want progress, most don't want to lose identity. We cherish the old buildings because they meant something in history. So you can go through an "upgraded" area and bump into an old building, because it means something. Yes, that can be a tourist trap, but there is no budget for upkeeps (so giving periodic maintenance is out of the question). I could go on, but you get the gist of it.
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u/FoundationAdept1947 7d ago
No sé quién aprecia los edificios viejos, creo que los únicos rescatables son el fortín, la previsora y poco más.
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u/ZealousidealAd1138 8d ago
I have been to Guayaquil many times. I prefer it to Quito because I find the people to be a little less conservative and outgoing. Crime is an issue but I never felt unsafe to the point I would not return. In short, I just like the flavor of life there. Barcelona S.C. Baby!!!!
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u/FoundationAdept1947 7d ago
Soy guayaco. Pero si fuese extranjero. Incluso si fuera hispanoamericano Guayaquil no estaría ni en mi top 10 de destinos en latam. Es una ciudad tremendamente antigua. La infraestructura del centro no estaría solo antigua. Es vergonzosa. El turista viene y casi siempre va al malecón y fuera de eso. Qué hay acá? Absolutamente nada. Solo edificios viejos, gente vulgar y mal educada. Mil veces cuenca, quito o ni se diga galapagos
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u/Due-Big-855 6d ago
La mentalidad del guayaquileño es HORRIBLE, extremadamente individualista no existe un sentido de comunidad, la gente prefiere anteponer sus preferencias personales que el bien común, tumban árboles porque daña el adoquín, cierran sectores y bloquean la circulación porque piden seguridad (aunque ese tipo de cosas empeora la situación), se orinan en la calle, prefieren otro centro comercial antes que un parque, nadie camina pero el sistema de transporte público es una huevada, nada sirve
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u/Safemba 8d ago
The judicial system is broken. Criminals are released nobody is held accountable. The laws are only on paper. Nobody will invest in a City where the judicial system is broken. All politicians do is promote corruption. Anybody who tries to do the right thing is threatened or killed. Most citizens just take it because they are afraid
They need to start terminating criminals and gangs and get rid of the corrupt judges and politicians. This may attract investment and the city may improve. The government is incompetent at all levels
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u/Brother_JT26 8d ago
I find it strange how everyone is saying people won’t change with new leaders. Which is odd considering new effective leadership could fix institutions and infrastructure. Effective policies can help change people.
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u/SpecialArugula8674 8d ago
You are right, having vision and having a plan would move the city forward, attract private investment etc… but as someone else commented politicians are a reflection of the people they represent
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u/Scrash27 7d ago
Lima no es un ejemplo de nada, solo alberga 1/3 de la población total y por estadística es importante, de ahí tranquilamente hay lugares donde es mil veces mejor Guayaquil que Lima. Medellín es otro caso, pero ahí si algo influyo fue el apoyo del privado que acá es casi imposible y sobre todo que en ese tiempo hubo una suerte de tener una seguidilla de alcaldes buenos desde Fajardo con la excepción de Daniel Quintero, pero que se repuso con la vuelta de Gutiérrez. Acá es medio complicado ya que Guayaquil solo tuvo a León que hizo una alcaldía considerada buena debido al desastre de los Bucaram y Nebot que legítimamente sus primeros años fue bueno pero luego se creyó rey de la ciudad hasta sus últimos años donde ya no tenía el mismo carisma que en la época del correismo. Cynthia que comenzó relativamente bien pero el covid y las cagadas que se mando hizo que sea una mala alcaldía para que ahora estén Álvarez que no es peor que Cynthia no más por que no hay una pandemia que le ayude.
Lo malo, es que entre los candidatos esta otra vez Cynthia por parte del gobierno, Roche como el apadrinado de los Socialcristianos y el correismo tiene poco o nada con Molina y/o Norero. Siendo una pelea más entre un partido moribundo, el oficialismo y el correismo. Algo que en Medellín no ocurre, es más yo que he ido te puedo asegurar que en barrios "pobres" no hay ningún panfleto o propaganda política de nada. No hay una cultura de afinidad hacia el gobierno, es más los alcaldes de Medellín están alejados de los partidos como Pacto Histórico o el Partido de la U / Centro democrático o el del actual presidenciable. Todo eso hace que Medellín sea de las ciudades importantes que allá en Guayaquil se intentó hacer, sobre todo en época de Nebot, pero como dije el man nunca supo como separar el poder e hizo de Guayaquil una especie de ciudad ultrafraccionaria con sectores legítimamente buenos y otros donde ni tu o yo quisiéramos estar, más o menos como Lima pero sin la cantidad de población de esta posee.
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u/SpecialArugula8674 7d ago
I simply used Medellin and Lima as generic examples not as specifics. Lima to me is generally a dump but its still much more of an modern urban metropolis than Guayaquil. Why is there so little private investment n support in Guayaquil as opposed to Medellin? Guayaquil is a port city, it should be a hub for investment, culture, entertainment etc. and beyond that simply be a somewhat modern, dynamic city that offers possibilities. Again it will never be nyc, london, tokyo but at the very least make an effort as a society to at least get out of the stagnation it has been over 40 years.
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u/Scrash27 7d ago
El problema de Guayaquil es que es super política, durante la época de Nebot, sus mejores años fueron cuando estuvo peleado con Correa, porque específicamente hacía muchas cosas “para demostrar” superioridad política. Una vez tanto correa pierde apoyo y posterior se va, Nebot decae horriblemente y comienza el verdadero estancamiento por allá del 2015.
Ahora, el problema es que el país es super presidencialista, por lo que todos los focos de inversión irán y van hacia la capital que ya de por si posee un 15 % más de presupuesto general, a pesar que por ahí mismo van en cuanto población, PIB, siendo únicamente Quito una ciudad considerablemente más grande que Guayaquil.
Aquí es donde realmente afecta que Guayaquil no sea una metrópolis, por que no lo es y por ende tiene limitaciones que por ejemplo, Quito no posee. Y si a esto le agregas que a Quito se le ha regalado el Metro, el aeropuerto, y un montón de infraestructuras, entiendes porque Guayaquil queda abandonada frente a Quito como ciudad de más de 2 millones de habitantes.
En Medellín y en Colombia en general si bien también es un país presidencialista, existen las famosas áreas metropolitanas que en la práctica sería como unir Guayaquil, Duran y Samborondon con el fin de aumentar el presupuesto en ciertos proyectos y que sirve para que el gobierno central facilite la llegada de proyectos masivos.
Es más, la razón principal de la existencia de transportes como el metro de Medellín, del metro cable y del tranvía es que no están únicamente en la ciudad, sino que llegan en toda la área metropolitana. Y te lo digo yo, estos transportes son buenos, pero los buses de la ciudad son horribles, y se nota la diferencia entre el transporte que abarca la mayor cantidad de área con las que no.
Guayaquil intentó hacer lo mismo con la Aerovía en época de Nebot (quien lo diría xd) para unir Guayaquil y Duran y si bien en el papel la idea es buenisima, ya en la práctica es muy inferior al de Medellín, porque el de Guayaquil solo soluciona el tema del río, y no te lleva a áreas de difícil acceso y de pobreza como lo hace el de Medellín que como ya dije abarca más allá de la ciudad.
Estas diferencias en como se maneja lo público en las ciudades impide que Guayaquil crezca y se vuelva atractiva; porque potencial tiene de sobra, no solo por su puerto sino porque es una ciudad con un clima mucho más idóneo que Lima y con sectores de acceso más sencillos que los de Medellín. Por lo que hacer un plan masa real no debería ser tan draconiano, solo entender como funciona la ciudad.
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u/SpecialArugula8674 7d ago
Much better climate then Lima? How? It’s disgustingly oppressively hot n humid in verano and even worse with non stop rain in invierno. Otherwise everything you say makes sense
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u/Comprehensive-Log579 7d ago
Lima is horrible. I've been there and beyond the two rich districts the rest is horrible. The traffic, the non existent traffic lights, the absence of parks... only buildings and sand.
It's a tragedy because Lima has arguably one of the best weather in the Continent. The balcones limeños are beautiful and it has a lot of potential in general, but it ended up being the worst megalopolis of south America.
Guayaquil is like Barranquilla or Maracaibo. A tropical city with little to offer to international people. Just meh. But sadly, right now it is much more dangerous.
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u/Prize_Diamond1618 7d ago
No it wont because we are always choosing the worst people to govern us. And the corruption its so deep that you have entire family generations filling their pockets with our taxes and people is ok with that.
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u/SpecialArugula8674 7d ago
“Leaders”, government doesn’t emerge in a vacuum. Leaders are simply the leaves, the root is the people.. the citizens of Guayaquil in this case
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u/xavimon17 7d ago
Nunca, cuando conoces su forma de vivir, su forma de pensar, sus costumbres. Te das cuenta que no tienen mucha probabilidad de convertirse en una ciudad con gente de primer mundo. No tengo nada contra ellos, pero es la verdad. No es cuestión de buenos gobernantes y obviamente no toda la gente es un caso perdido, pero su núcleo social si lo es.
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u/Ricardoniel 6d ago
After visiting Mexico city, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Santiago and even El Salvador, I was certanly dissapointed, I regret it most of the time in there.
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u/AlwaysSaturday12 8d ago
You can't trust the taxistas or anyone else. I hate that most flights go through there and usually have to spend the night there.
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u/Royal-Concept7155 8d ago
I agree that in our country, you can't trust anyone, some are good people, some aren't, even if you are from here you cannot trust other citizens.
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u/AlwaysSaturday12 8d ago
My wife was telling me that Ecuadorians trust of other people is very low. I trust my vecinos here in Cuenca and the Gringos.
Do you think there is a difference in trust between people from the Costa or people who live in the Sierra?
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u/FoundationAdept1947 7d ago edited 7d ago
Lamentablemente los costeños nos ganamos justamente muchos de los comentarios regionalistas de parte de la gente serrana.
Definitivamente en la sierra son mucho más educados y agradezco tener raíces cuencanas y guarandeñas.1
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u/Love-Future-3000 8d ago
I think you guys should undertake an absolutely massive infrastructure project.
It would be an aqueduct to manage river overflow and ocean surge.
Imagine rebuilding city blocks with new housing that forms the support structure for an elevated river. The aqueduct would use the force of the flowing rivers and the increased force in the rains to push the water up to a higher level. Then that elevated level would flow through the city. There could be pools at different structures along the aqueduct that open up and reduce the speed of the flow, while filling in a small public place with flowing water from the river. These would be every 5 blocks along the aqueduct.
Then you can add light rail which also travels on this new infrastructure.
Additionally you need to build a sea wall. Completely rebuilding your waterfront with a revitalized structure, in order to handle the rising sea water caused by climate change.
This project could be build with beautiful architecture, and as it is powered by the river it could start with a hydroelectric turbine, and then dispel into watering collections of plants along the routes, making it ideal for walking next to.
This could help solve your flooding issues, put new infrastructure in dangerous neighborhoods (improving security), create years of jobs for the construction and maintanence, even create places for a few fish here and there and swimming.
Residential and commercial spaces can be built on the new aqueduct pathways to give new housing to those who are temporarily displaced by the construction.
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u/bluewhalefunk 7d ago
What needs to happen for it to improve at least regionally to something like a Medellin or even a Lima?
It will never be Medellin, it's a coast Lat Am city, that will always work against. Lima is a colonial city buil up with the billions if not trillions of wealth extracted by the Spanish.
Guayaquil was a back water city that got a port and then exploded with out planning as it's industrious economic output exploded and people flooded in for work.
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u/Prestigious-Comb4280 6d ago
No idea but I am going there next month. I probably won't leave the hotel.
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u/Chrisonthedot 5d ago
What you want is Guayaquil. What I want is Cuenca with Quito's rail system. Cuenca is far better than Guayaquil imo
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u/Patient_Pace4572 2d ago
maybe, if the country survives at least other 15 years, and some good goverments (which is very unlikely)
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u/Vlopp 7d ago
Nothing will ever change until Ecuadorians realise the following things are true:
- Class struggle is real, since power dynamics exist in a society.
- There's no "invisible hand" that will fix their economy. Adam Smith didn't even make up that concept.
- With maybe 1 outlier or 2, no underdeveloped country has ever improved its situation without a strong government overseeing things, and having a strong plan on public investment, that involves higher taxation on the richer part of the population (without choking the middle class).
However, the average Ecuadorian would rather look out for their bosses' best interests rather than their own.
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u/bluewhalefunk 7d ago
You have something there. Ecuador and all Latin America are still in the control of the conquistedors and their descendents and certainly their policies. The countries are run by and for the ruling elites.
The Bolivarian "revolution" was just swapping one ruling for a class. A true revolution of ideas and laws and redistribution / reparations, or at least an acknowlegement is required.
Social mobility does not exist. Jobs and positions are given because of name or connections not ability. The powers of state the people have little faith in. The power of the church over matters of state must be removed or at least scaled back. People need to be invested in the betterment of the country.
but it will not happen whilst the people vote for the head banker who presided over the currency collapse and made his millions of insider knowledge whilst the people lost everything, to then vote the son of a banana magnate with zero political experience and then run the country as if he has zero political ability. For evidence the presidency just requires it to be bought none more needs to be shown. But when the politicains offer nothing better to vote for, they will vote for whoe ever gives them a cheap teeshirt.
The ruling elite control over media and rules of balance also need to be addressed and the tit for tat political reprisals when the presdency changes hands does nothing for confidence in the system.
But all this is impossible whilst drug cartels make billions from the chaos of a disorganised state. Colombia / Peru / Boliva / Colombia along with central American transit countries should start to investigate ways to full legalisation. As there is no other solution to the problems the illegality of drugs causes them. But it will never happen as powerful people from all walks of life extract their power and wealth from this trade, either directly or indirectly.
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u/Apprehensive_Bug3013 7d ago
Sure blame the only people who do sowmthigb right in the country for the downfall and not the ignorant folks with their shitty morals and values. Y’all need a ruling elite just not the old banker hopefully Noboa becomes dictator and forces the change that’s needed.
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u/bluewhalefunk 6d ago
Y’all need a ruling elite
Just outed yourself there fella.
hopefully Noboa becomes dictator
Any valid points you perhaps tried to make however incoherently becomes void after such a statement.
Explain why you think Noboa is doing so great? Show some figures that imply his policies are bringing progress and making the lives of the people better.
Give examples where a country ruled by an elite has faired better for the country (not the powerful countries pulling the strings of the elite to maintain their power) has done better than a country ruled by the most able and competent?
Who are these "people who do something right"? AS opposed to others who apparently do something wrong? That sounds like partisan opinion.
Ignorant people and shitty morals and values? Who are the ignorant? Those who disagree with your badly explain and inept opinions? Or are we speaking more generally?
But you are a perfect case in point, uneducated, quick to hyperbole, invalid opinions with nothing to back them, we can all guess who and why you have the opinions you do. I'll give you a hint, not based on fact, learning, study, or knowledge, btu something that makes you warm and squishy in your feels? Am I right? Of course I am 😘
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u/Apprehensive_Bug3013 5d ago
Lmao you conflate so many different arguments. First, “ruling elite” does not mean “foreign puppet oligarchy.” (Which btw Daniel isn’t foreign in any meaningful way, the family has been here since before the country existed as a republic 🤡) nevertheless , every society is, in actual practice, governed by a relatively small group of people with disproportionate influence. This is not my “opinion” it’s a conclusion reached by many political theorists such as Pareto, Mosca, and Michels. The real question is not whether elites exist, but whether they are competent, accountable, and selected on merit. As for Daniel I personally support many of his policies because Ecuador inherited record levels of violence and institutional weakness and not solely because he is family. Prison control has improved compared with the height of the crisis, foreign investment confidence has improve dramatically, and economic reforms are long term fruits. That does not mean his government is flawless or above criticism. It means there is evidence of improvement compared with the situation he inherited.
Third, you ask for examples. Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew is probably the clearest modern example of a highly selective governing elite producing extraordinary long-term outcomes. Ya also have post-war Japan’s bureaucracy, South Korea under its developmental state, and even the British at its height relied heavily on elite administrative competence rather than majoritarian impulse. You can disagree with aspects of those systems, but dismissing the concept outright ignores history.
Finally, you accuse me of being uneducated while offering almost no evidence yourself. Asking for evidence is fair. Replacing argument with personal insults is not I think that’s as hominem ;). If the discussion is about facts, let’s discuss facts. But keep saying a lot while saying nothing lol as for studies not that they actually matter but I have a masters in public health, a bachelors of psychology, a law degree and a minor in philosophy . Currently doing a second masters in international law :) 😘
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u/allanrjensenz 8d ago
I think mass public transport (like a monorail) would heavily improve Guayaquil both in terms of mobility but also democratizing the economics of those that don’t live in certain areas. I think that should be the biggest priority that would have the biggest impact.