Abstract The present situation in Ecuador is not a happy one. You would think that this ought not to be the case. There are seven electron microscopes in the country and all of them are in working order (although with problems - see below), so why then are things not good. The problem begins with geography. Unlike most smaller countries, Ecuador is not dominated by a single large city. There are two major cities, locked in a continuous rivalry: Quito, the capital, is in the mountains, and Guayaquil, the larger city, is on the coast. They are about seven hours apart by road. Both cities have electron microscopes. Worse, however, is the fact that, in each city, the microscopes are in two different locations - making a total of four microscopy centers. This is too many and Ecuador can not support them all effectively.