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By Moisés Naím 2022 is turning into a lean cow year. The expression is familiar to educated Latin Americans, though only the most biblically astute Anglos seem to know it. It comes from Genesis, and it goes all the way back to the age of the Egyptian pyramids. In this...
Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo has announced a reduction in gasoline prices following eight days of anti-government protests that have blocked roads and disrupted public transportation. The cost of fuel for private vehicles will be lowered to $3.95 per gallon...
“Things have returned to normal,” Azuay Province Governor Matías Abad said Monday in response to a question about essential supplies reaching Cuenca. “It has taken more than a week since the end of the strike to be able to say this but we are finally overcoming the...
According to a United Nations report on global drug trafficking, Ecuador ranks third in the world in the amount of cocaine confiscated by law enforcement agencies. The report also shows that the majority of the seizures are made at the port of Guayaquil. The UN Office...
Two of the most ubiquitous items seen daily on earth are on display in this quick snap taken at a local tienda here in Vilcabamba. One of my campesino neighbors is relaxing in the the waning afternoon light wearing ubiquitous item #1: a New York Yankees baseball cap....
By Catherine Thorbecke In the two decades since it was first included in products available to the general public, Bluetooth has become so widespread that an entire generation of consumers may not be able to remember a time without it. ABI Research estimates that 5...
Although prices are rising throughout Ecuador, the cost of living for the typical family is the highest in Cuenca. June figures released last week by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) showed that the cost of the Basic Family Basket -- food and...
By Stephen Vargha Guitarist Renato Albornoz and comedic genius Mel Brooks have something in common. Neither of them can read or write music. Brooks confessed he is a "hummer." He is a composer who came up with the melodies and left it to others to transcribe and...
By Mike Corder Bales of hay and truck tires lie burning on Dutch highways. Supermarket shelves stand empty because distribution centers are blocked by farmers. Then, at dusk, a police officer pulls his pistol and shoots at a tractor. Dutch farmers are embroiled in a...
According to President Guillermo Lasso, the 18-day indigenous strike was funded at least in part by drug money. He said he can show a “clear paper trail” linking drug traffickers to the most violent strikers. Lasso made the claim in an interview Thursday with...
Editor's note: Although the indigenous strike that ended last week caused massive disruption, it was only the latest in a long series of indigenous protests. In fact, the strike pales in comparison to several others, especially the 1990 "levantamiento." Historian Marc...
By Lee Harrison Recently, I had a good lesson in what it's like when your country is a target and experienced one of the biggest benefits of being part of another culture. A few days ago I found myself walking along a quiet, tree-lined street in Pocitos, Montevideo,...
By Paul Wiseman The U.S. dollar has been surging so much that it's nearly equal in value to the euro for the first time in 20 years. That trend, though, threatens to hurt American companies because their goods become more expensive for foreign buyers. If U.S. exports...
Negotiators from the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities and the government have settled on the topics to be considered when formal talks begin July 13. As part of the settlement to end the 18-day Conaie strike last week, both sides agreed to hold 90 days of...
By Sylvan Hardy Expat radio host Ron Gordon is back on the air. In fact, it’s Gordon’s third time broadcasting Café Blues on Cuenca’s Antena Uno (www.antenauno.com), 90.5 FM. His first broadcasts date back to 1995 when he took a break from his law practice in the U.S....
By Joanna Thompson After two years of La Niña — El Niño's cooler counterpart — the South Pacific may be facing a potential third appearance of La Niña in a row, which could bring more rainfall to an already-saturated eastern Australia and continue the trend of intense...
The Cuenca Municipal Health Council says it is “highly alarmed” by the rapid rise in positive Covid-19 tests in recent weeks and says it may recommend changes to local health policy. Health council advisor and medical researcher Bernardo Vega said Wednesday that there...
Former Guayaquil mayor Jaime Nebot is proposing that Ecuador adopt a republican form of government, allowing provinces and municipalities greater autonomy and authority. He said the recently ended indigenous strike proves that “top-down” government is not working. "It...
By Stephen Vargha Convención del 45 has a very interesting history. The barrio, which encompasses about 24 blocks on the west side of Cuenca, was one of three entrances to the city in the 19th century and early-20th century. The other two were El Volcán and El Vecino....
By Tim Greene For the well-traveled, the idea of retirement abroad can seem an idyll. You pick a place you’ve loved visiting, whether it’s the thrumming avenues of Paris or the sunny strands of Panama or the mountains of Ecuador, and jet off for the perfect permanent...
Week of August 16
Azuay stays under state of exception as authorities track criminal groups expanding around Cuenca.
Older adults and people with disabilities can now request vehicle tax break online.
That unresolved bank complaint has another place to go and the service is free.
