Violence-plagued Ecuador has had generally little cause for celebration lately, so to inject a little cheer President Daniel Noboa on Thursday cut the price of beer for the duration of the World Cup.
Noboa made the announcement while inaugurating a road project in Guayas province, one of several coastal provinces that has been rocked by turf wars between rival drug-trafficking gangs.
"We are going to remove the Special Consumption Tax from all beverages consumed in moderation, including beer, during the World Cup. This way, the price of beer will drop by more than 20 per cent," he said to applause.
The measure also applies to wine, but beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the Andean nation.
Ecuador are preparing to make their fifth World Cup appearance on Sunday when they will take on Ivory Coast.
Wearing the yellow jersey of the national team, Noboa noted that "everyone is already more focused on football than anything else" and predicted that the national team would "go very far."
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