By Ramiro Crespo Ecuador’s difficult path towards becoming a responsible mining economy has once again taken a stumble. Courts in Cuenca have stopped development of the Río Blanco project, a gold mine nearing completion owned by Chinese mining company Junefield. The rulings have received support from Cuenca’s mayor, Marcelo Cabrera, and umbrella indigenous organization CONAIE. […]
Three days after the deadly crash of a Colombian bus east of Quito, investigators have discovered 637 kilos, or 1,400 pounds, of marijuana concealed under the passenger compartment floor. The cache was valued at $1.7 million. The discovery was made by dogs during a routine sweep of the bus wreckage by a police canine unit. […]
Venezuelans entering Peru and Ecuador will soon be required to show their passports, rather than national identity cards, the Ecuadorian government and Peruvian official sources said on Thursday, amid concerns over the rapidly growing influx of economic migrants. Both countries have hitherto allowed Venezuelans to enter using national ID cards, providing desperate Venezuelans with an […]
Deportivo Cuenca forced to play home game in Quito Although it has advanced to the quarter finals of the Copa Sudamericana championships, Cuenca’s professional football team cannot play home games in its own stadium. The team will play in Quito. On Thursday, the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) announced that Cuenca’s Alejandro Serrano Aguilar stadium […]
Thursday’s announcement that, beginning Saturday, all Venezuelans entering Ecuador must present passports, is being criticized from both outside and inside the government. The new requirement, announced by Interior Minister, Mauro Toscanini, ends the current practice of allowing entry with the Tarjeta Andina or Venezueulan cedulas. “We are taking this measure for the protection of both […]
Does going “gluten-free” mean you’ll automatically lose weight, shrink your “wheat belly” or prevent Alzheimer’s disease? Or as Jimmy Kimmel demonstrated quite hilariously, are you someone who has stopped eating gluten because someone in your Yoga class told you to? (Check out Jimmy’s segment on Youtube.com where he asked people on the street, “What is gluten?”) Can […]
A Colombian radio station is reporting that the driver of the bus that crashed Tuesday morning, killing 23 and injuring 22, had a fake driver’s license. The 28-year-old driver, identified as Cristian Andrés P., was treated and released for injuries suffered in the accident near Papallacta and is currently being detained, according to Ecuadorian transit […]
Search for lost Cajas hiker continues Teams of emergency personnel, park rangers and the Cuenca Citizen Guard continue the search for Wilson Serrano, the hiker lost 11 days ago in the Cajas National Park. “We will continue to conduct our rescue operation until we find the hiker or until we are told to end it,” […]
In a Tuesday video link from Belgium to Ecuador’s National Assembly, former president Rafael Correa denied receiving the missing third report on the murder of former Air Force General Jorge Gabela. In his testimony, the former president also questioned the role of special Argentinian investigator Roberto Meza, saying his findings were “only inputs” into the […]
The Taco Joint (Coronel Talbot 8-66 and Simon Bolivar), open since March, is already becoming an established feature of the San Sebastian neighborhood. It is a tiny place, with a single table for four and seating for a few more at the counter. A pass-through window to the street makes for a most convenient opportunity […]
