Researcher says Cuenca remains popular with expats; Ecuador will not accept deportees from other countries; Quito’s gringo hamburger maestro dies

Expat trends researcher Ronald Barlow says Cuenca remains a top destination for foreigners in South America despite news of violence in other parts of Ecuador. Participating in a panel discussion about “lifestyle migration” at University College London on March 5, Barlow said the size of Cuenca’s expat community continues to grow.

“The continuing popularity of Cuenca among North Americans and Europeans may seem surprising because of all the murders on Ecuador’s coast, but when you talk to those who live there, they tell you they feel safe,” Barlow. “What they describe is sort of a tale of two Ecuadors, one that has been overrun by drug cartels and the other that is largely unaffected.”

Rusty Miller at one of his Quito hamburger restaurants.

Barlow cited a recent survey by a crime-tracking organization that lists Cuenca in the top five safest cities in Latin America with populations above 500,000.

“The culture in the Andes Mountains, where Cuenca is located, is vastly different than that of the coast where the violence is so extreme,” he said. “Most of those considering expatriating do their research. They separate the facts from the news headlines.”

Cuenca is not the only safe expat destination in Ecuador, Barlow says. “There are other, very attractive smaller towns in the mountains that are safe and popular with expats,” he says.

Barlow, who spent January in Ecuador, plans to publish the results of his research in July or August.

Ecuador will not accept deportees from other countries, Noboa says
President Daniel Noboa said Sunday that Ecuador will not receive U.S. deportees from other countries. “Our focus is on accommodating our own people and our efforts will go to helping those returning home,” he said in a radio interview. “We will not abandon our people.”

Noboa was responding to a question of whether Ecuador was open to an agreement with the U.S. similar to Panama’s, which agreed to accept deportees from Asian countries. “I have sympathy for all of those being deported, but we must put our citizens first.”

On another question, Noboa said that the number of Ecuadorians deported from the U.S. in 2025 is only “slightly higher” than the number from 2024. “As of the beginning of March, the total has increased by about 15% over last year,” he said.

Quito’s gringo hamburger maestro dies
The California native credited with making hamburgers and onion rings popular in Quito died Sunday. Dwight Meister Miller, better known as Rusty, opened Rusty’s Hambuguesas in 1979, years before most international fast-food chains entered the market.

Known for his Dalí moustache, big smile and “gringo accent,” Miller was forced to close his restaurant, located on Av. Amazonas, in 1985 for family reasons but reopened five years later, adding three more locations over the years. Although Rusty retired several years ago, his restaurants continue to serve made-to-order burgers, managed by family members.

Miller was 91.