Expat arrests suggest Cuenca could become refuge for U.S fugitives; Woman chosen to conduct Cuenca Orchestra; Cedula data leaked; Weekend agenda

Bored? –
(De El Mercurio del jueves, 7/5) Agenda –
8/5 a las 20:00 – Serenata a Mamá (Serenade to Mama) by the Trío La Comarca with boleros, pasillos, valses (waltzes), albazos, & sanjuanitos – Teatro Sucre.
8/5 a las 20:00 – Festival de Bandas de Pueblo with traditional dances and fireworks – Parque Central de Oña.
9/5 a las 1100 – Artistic presentation by Rubén Enrique – Plaza Rotary.
9/5 a las 1100 – Opening of exhibit: “Heteropía 4: Materias del afecto” – Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno (MMAM), Sucre y Coronel Tálbot.
9/5 a las 20:00 – Sábado de Glorieta with Mariachi Monarca – Glorieta del Parque Calderón (bandstand).
9/5 a las 21:30 – Dance presentation with Kaypimi Kanchik, Danza y Tradición – Barrio Descanso de la Gloria.

Andea Vela will be the first woman conductor of the Cuenca Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she had conducted the Conservatory of Music Orchestra of Shanghai and the Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. (El Mercurio)

(De El Mercurio del jueves, 7/5) Merengue y cumbia en versión sinfónica (Merengue and cumbia in a symphonic arrangement) – <There’s going to be dancing in the aisles.> There will be two symphony concerts this weekend. The concert, “Juan Luis Guerra Sinfónico” will be performed on the 7, 8, & 9/5 a las 20:00 in the Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz and will unite the Orquesta Sinfónica and Coro Polifónico of the U. of Cuenca. Cost: $10 for the general public and $5 for U. of Cuenca students with a cultural voucher. Tickets available at the theater box office.

“Don Medardo y sus Players Sinfónico” will perform a tribute to mothers on the 7 & 8/5 a las 20:00 in the Teatro Casa de la Cultura in a fusion format with Mauricio Luzuriaga and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca. Tickets available at the kiosk in the Mall del Río, El Surtido, and in TICKETin.

(De El Mercurio del jueves, 7/5) Adal Ramones viene “Viajando sin maleta” (Adal Ramones is coming “Traveling Light”) – The actor and comedian Adal Ramones will bring his new monologue, “Viajando sin maleta” to the Teatro Casa de la Cultura this 12/5. His act mixes humor, personal anecdotes, and reflections on daily life. Tickets available at One More Ticket, El Surtido, El Mercurio, 2DOS Bistro Lounge, Radio Activa, VIA Producciones, Genios Humor y Bright Buzz. <No time or ticket prices given in article.>

Hungry? –
(De El Mercurio del martes, 5/5) Loja en Cuenca (Loja in Cuenca) – The aroma of coffee will take over the Casa de la Provincia (Tomás Ordóñez y Bolívar) el jueves 7 & viernes 8/5 from 9-17:00 at a feria and exposition which will bring coffee growers from various cantons such as Pindal, Macará, Celica, Saraguro, Gonzanamá, Olmedo, Puyango, and Cariamanga. Visitors can enjoy free tastings of typical dishes from these Lojanan locations. There will also be an artistic show (music), live dances, raffles, and technical advice for coffee lovers who want to deepen their passion.

(De El Mercurio del martes, 5/5) María tiene la sazón ideal para las papas con cuero (María has the perfect seasoning for papas con cuero) – María Guanga, a vendor in the food court at the mercado 12 de Abril, was crowned the winner of the 2nd edition of the ruta de las “Papas con Cuero.” Second place went to Elvia Guanga at the mercado El Arenal (Feria Libre), and 3d place went to Joila Arévalo at the itinerant platform Narancay. The contest had 22 merchants from 8 mercados. In the first phase, a representative for each market was selected. Before the selection of the finalists, chefs from the U. of Cuenca along with local media, toured the markets and evaluated the offerings. <22 contestants – that’s a lot of soup to taste.>

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del jueves, 7/5) Extranjeros detenidos por peligrosos delitos (Foreigners arrested for dangerous crimes) – <You think this article is going to be about Venezuelans or Colombians? Think again – it’s about those “perfect” expats who never commit crimes, boost the economy, and whose customs all Ecuadorians should be emulating.> The arrest of a US citizen, wanted internationally for child pornography, is evidence that the City can also serve as a refuge for people who operate outside the law. The 76-year-old Ohio native, identified as Davd B., was arrested on el 5/5 in El Centro during a raid of his residence. <I hope that Cuenca is not going to become the poor pervert’s Epstein Island.> Investigation revealed that the man had lived there for almost four years and had a red alert and an arrest warrant in effect in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Santiago Dueñas, a captain in the Policía Nacional, said the man has regular status in Ecuador, but because he represents a threat to the security of the country, he will undergo the deportation process to deliver him to North American authorities. Police gathered evidence in his electronic devices, cellphone, tablets and desktop computer at his apartment.

There have been other cases of arrests in Cuenca. In 2021, Peter R. was wanted by INTERPOL and the U.S., for being involved in 9 sex crimes. Authorities raided a property on av Ordóñez Lasso in the hotel Pinar del Lago sector. He was wanted for invasion of privacy for the purpose of sexual gratification. In the US, in Jefferson, Colorado, he sexually assaulted a person who was disabled and unable to understand the situation.

In septiembre of 2025, a US citizen was arrested in possession of controlled substances (marijuana and cocaine) in the centro histórico. According to the investigations, he sold the drugs in tourist areas of the city known for this type of activity. In julio, 2025, a US citizen was arrested for domestic violence in an apartment complex in Puertas del Sol. In marzo of 2025, another American was arrested after multiple complaints from other foreigners about scams related to sales of land.

For Juan Díaz, a former sergeant in the Policía Nacional and security consultant, it’s necessary to improve immigration control and international cooperation to avoid admitting people with arrest warrants from using Cuenca as a refuge. Recent cases show that foreign citizens have been arrested for serious crimes which obligates revising protocols for verifying criminal records and improving exchange of information with international agencies. <It would be a shame for US citizens to get a reputation for being perverts and scam artists. If you’re an old guy, I’d be careful about patting random cute kids on the head.>

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 6/5) Decomisan productos ecuatorianos (Ecuadorian products seized) – Two trained dogs, Oliver y Mookie <cute little Beagles> at the Atlanta airport, detected products prohibited from being imported in suitcases from Ecuador. The items included beef, pork, potatoes, tree bark and material referred to as propagation material to reproduce plants such as seeds, cuttings, live plants, bulbs, roots and fresh flowers. All the articles were destroyed to protect US agriculture. US authorities said that travellers cannot transport prohibited or restricted products and they can face sanctions and confiscation at the airport. They emphasized travellers should avoid carrying foods, plants or articles of animal origin without declaring them since they represent sanitary and legal risks. <I don’t suppose that applies to Ecuadorian leather shoes unless you’ve been wandering around on farms in the countryside.>

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 6/5) 2 proyectos en el Yanuncay (2 projects in Yanuncay) – The watershed of the río Yanuncay will be a new energy source in the country due to construction of a hydroelectric project and a wind farm. The Empresa Electrogeneradora del Austro (Elecaustro) is in charge of the hydroelectric project which should generate 22 MW, provide flood control, and guarantee water supply to Cuenca. The goal is to start construction in the first quarter of 2027.

The Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP) through its Unidad de Negocios CELEC SUR, will build the El Pimo wind project. It will consist of 35 wind turbines generating 4.3 MW each for a total of 150MW. The project is in the studies phase and construction is planned to start in the middle of 2027 with the farm starting operations in 2029.

(De El Mercurio| del miércoles, 6/5) Los datos personales en riesgo ante “filtraciones” (Personal data at risk from “leaks”) – 14.8 million pieces of identity information have been leaked from the Registry Civil. Vecert Analyzer, a cybersecurity tool, says that means that information about practically everyone with a cedula is in outside hands. The person making the threat, GordonFreeman, operates in the collective L4TAMFUCKERS, and has high resolution images of 10.6 million cédulas in his power. 17 million entries from the Agencia Nacional de Tránsito (ANT) were leaked el 3/5 along with those of a Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito. Citizens are being alerted not to fall for electronic scams which will arrive in text messages and email asking for money.

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 6/5) La primera batuta femenina (The first female conductor) – Andea Vela has been named the first woman conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca (OSC). She was selected after a process based on merit organized by the Viceminister of Culture. She has close to 30 years of experience with a Masters in Orchestral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music of Shanghai and an Artist Diploma in Orchestral and Opera Directing from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and other titles. In Ecuador, she directed the Orquesta Sinfónica de Loja for 7 years and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Ecuador for 3.
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Information in this column, including dates, times and locations, is courtesy of the El Mercurio newspaper. Comments between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), are the personal opinions of the author and not part of the news translation.