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Largely fruitless negotiations between Ecuador's government and indigenous groups are testing President Guillermo Lasso's ability to head off renewed street protests and ensure fiscally crucial mining investments, indigenous leaders and industry experts say. Lasso, an...
The number of murders in Ecuador is up sharply in 2022, National Police report, with more than 70% percent of them occurring in the coastal provinces, almost half of them in Guayas Province. “The figures are alarming and are a warning of the dangers that drug...
By Russell McLendon Even if humanity manages not to self-destruct with war or climate change, there are still other existential threats we must be ready for. Earth came pre-loaded with plenty of dangers long before we began piling on, some of which our species has...
By Jennifer Kilkus “I just knew something was wrong.” “My doctor told me it is normal to have pain as you get older.” “I went to five different doctors before I was finally diagnosed.” “I was told there is no way I could have cancer, I’m too young.” We put a lot of...
Government Minister Francisco Jiménez said Monday that the questions for a popular referendum have mostly been determined but did not say what they are. “We have decided on 10 questions but may add two more,” he said in a radio interview. “We will announce them when...
By Stephen Vargha Labor Day week is the traditional kickoff to the political season in the United States. It gained the distinction due to the fact that the summer vacation season is over, kids are back in school and it is only two months until the November elections....
Actor Will Smith has been busy lately sharing videos, photos and comments about Ecuador on social media with his followers back in the U.S.. The star of films such as "I am a Legend," "Aladdin" and "In Search of Happiness," arrived two weeks ago in Alausí, in...
By Victor Tangermann Oxford quantum physicist Nikita Gourianov tore into the quantum computing industry last week, comparing the "fanfare" around the tech to a financial bubble in a searing commentry piece for the Financial Times. In other words, he wrote, it's far...
In comments about the government’s on-going negotiations with indigenous groups, President Guillermo Lasso said Saturday that current fuel subsidies benefit the wealthy more than they do the poor. “This has been a problem for years and now is the time to correct it,”...
Chileans overwhelmingly voted against a proposed new constitution on Sunday, rejecting what would have been one of the world's most progressive charters. While nearly 80% of Chileans voted to draft a new constitution in 2020, nearly 62% of voters rejected the new text...
Moderate rain had forced me to take shelter under a large avocado tree near the Rio Yambala in Vilcabamba. I had closed my eyes so I could concentrate on the air-born smell of petrichor, that universal scent that wafts up from the soil and plants during a rain. It...
By Steve H. Hanke and Caleb Hofmann El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, may be Bitcoin’s most visible publicist. Since Bukele assumed the presidency on June 1, 2019, his first-mover, grandiose plans for Bitcoin in El Salvador have generated buzz — and a litany of...
By Mauricio Olmedo-Perez When I was mugged by a gang of teenagers in Panama City it was a surprisingly civil transaction, and it was all over in less than a minute. I was a tour guide and had worked throughout Latin America for a number of years, traveling to some...
By Matthew Bristow Colombia, the world’s biggest producer of cocaine, is rethinking the war on drugs which it has waged for decades backed by US military aid. Minutes after taking office last month, leftist President Gustavo Petro called for a new approach, saying in...
Following complaints by indigenous organizations of lack of progress in negotiations with the government, the two sides agreed Thursday to continue talks “in good faith.” The Episcopal Council of the Catholic Church said Thursday that “several issues” have been...
For the second time in a little more than a month, an opposition effort to reshape the government has failed in the National Assembly. On Thursday night, the Union of Hope (UNES) and Social Christian (PSC) bloc fell five votes short of dismissing three members of the...
By Maria del Pilar Cobo Ecuadorians are generally known for their formal courteousness, especially when it comes to welcoming foreign visitors. Most of us avoid confrontation if we can (except when we're behind the wheel of car, when we metamorphize into another...
The Cuenca transportation office is advising motorists to allow more time to get to their destination as the new school year begins Thursday. “There will be intense traffic congestion in areas near schools on Thursday and Friday, particularly in the historic...
By Tom Larsen Artist Janda Grove is a North American Expat who lives in Cuenca. She has created an impressive portfolio of work, primarily using oils on canvas, linen or gessoed boards. She is also an accomplished photographer. Her latest initiative, Transferencia:...
By Philippa Martyr It’s hard to measure the impact of any one drug on world history. But here are five drugs we can safely say made a huge difference to our lives, often in ways we didn’t expect. They have brought some incredible benefits. But they’ve usually also...
