News
As heavy equipment worked to clear the Cuenca-Molleturo-Naranjal highway Monday, rescue workers freed at least 40 people trapped between landslides. The highway, which is the main route between Cuenca and Guayaquil, remained closed to traffic as efforts continue to clear tons of rock and mud in at least four locations. “We hope to open one...
By Stephen Vargha It’s like the biblical David versus Goliath. For the craft beer industry in Ecuador, it is them versus AB InBev, the brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev has a fourth of the world’s global sales, taking in $59 billion for its last fiscal year. The brewing giant’s mass-produced beers include...
By Thomas Graham According to a resolution passed at the congress of the Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas) on Wednesday, Arce “expelled himself” from the party by not appearing at the meeting on Tuesday in the department of Cochabamba. David Choquehuanca, the vice-president, and dozens more legislators, officials and activists loyal to Arce, were also expelled...
There will be no electric blackouts until at least May 13, Energy Minister Roberto Luque announced Sunday. “The decision is based on increasing power generation at the Mazar-Paute facilities,” he said. He cautioned, however, that repairs to the Coca Codo Sinclair, the country’s largest hydro plant, could require new blackouts later in the month. Luque...
Domingo, 5/5/2024 Hola, Todos – I will be on vacation next week and back on lunes, el 13/5. Actualidad – De El Mercurio del sábado, 4/3 (1 article): 3 volcanes con actividad moderada y alta (3 volcanoes with moderate & high activity) – The Instituto Geofísico reported that the Sangay, La Cumbre on Fernandina Island...
What is being described as “historically intense” rainfall Saturday afternoon sent rivers over their banks and triggered landsides in Cuenca and northern Azuay Province. Sunday morning, a third of Cuenca households lost drinking water service as a result of flooding at El Cebollar water plant in the Cajas Mountains. The Cuenca-Molleturo-Naranjal highway was blocked in...
By David Noriega, Aarne Heikkila and Adiel Kaplan Shortly after dawn, in the desert east of San Diego, a group of migrants huddled around a campfire. They had come together on this desolate stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border from four different continents: Young men from India shared snacks with women from Nicaragua, while a man from Georgia stood next...
Ecuador’s Constitutional Court ruled Friday that the government did not justify granting extra powers to the police and armed forces in its energy crisis emergency declaration. “The order to mobilize [police and the armed forces] is unconstitutional based on the scope and nature of the emergency conditions,” the court said. The court maintained that President...
Viernes, 3/5/2024 Hola, Todos – Actividades – Talleres gratuitos (Free workshops) – There will be straw weaving workshops at the Economuseo Municipal ‘Casa del Sombrero’ (Rafael María Arízaga 7-95 y Luis Cordero). The practical classes will be for the whole public and will be taught by qualified craftswomen from different sectors of the Cuenca canton....
By Thomas Graham Panama’s presidential frontrunner has vowed to “close” the Darién Gap, the swampy jungle straddling the border with Colombia that has become an unavoidable ordeal for many US-bound migrants – but experts criticised the idea as unworkable and potentially dangerous. Presided over by criminal groups and corrupt officials, the Darién Gap is one of the...
In his daily news conference Thursday, Energy Minister Roberto Luque warned that sedimentation problems at the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant could prolong electric blackouts. “Corrective maintenance schedules at the facilities have not been maintained and we will need to suspend operations, either fully or partially, for several days for cleaning,” he said. According to...
Minneapolis nonprofit organization COPAL, or Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, is urging state leaders to support temporary immigration relief for Ecuadorians. Temporary Protected Status allows people fleeing violence, political unrest and instability temporary protection from deportation and immediate work permits. There are 16 countries that currently have a TPS designation. At a press conference...
Expat Life
By Stephen Vargha It’s like the biblical David versus Goliath. For the craft beer industry in Ecuador, it is them...
By Barbara Brosco In the midst of graceful surroundings minutes from downtown, lies the newest addition to the Ecuadorean, mountain...
If you’ve been using advanced age or physical limitations as excuses for not getting on a bicycle in Cuenca, there’s...
By Stephen Vargha A hidden gem is not immediately apparent. It therefore has received far less recognition than it deserves....
Health News
By Dana G. Smith According to some estimates, consumers spend $62 billion a year on “anti-aging” treatments. But while creams,...
By Andrei Ionescu A team of infectious disease specialists has issued an urgent call to action for the medical community,...
Opinion
By Ana Caistor Arendar The people of Ecuador have given a resounding NO to the return of secretive, foreign corporate...
By Tessa Flemming For years, Ecuador and Mexico looked like two countries in diplomatic harmony. Despite their political differences, the...
By Jeff Abbott Mexico has severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador after heavily armed police raided the country’s embassy, in a...
