Guayaquil center decay: urban blight drives resident exodus amid stark inequality

A feature piece details the decline of Guayaquil's city center from former splendor to abject poverty, highlighting stark socioeconomic contrasts and the resulting out-migration of residents. The piece is descriptive journalism rather than a discrete event, so the core claim is the documented urban decay and displacement pattern. It matters as a signal of chronic urban inequality and infrastructure neglect in Ecuador's largest city, with potential implications for local governance and social stability.