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Ecuador’s Constitutional Court has shortened the length of President Guillermo Lasso state of emergency from 60 days to 30, saying conditions do not warrant suspension of constitutional rights for two months. The emergency, ordered by Lasso on October 18 to combat...
By Rob Picheta Europe is facing a potentially devastating winter that could see half a million people die with Covid-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday, as it sounded the alarm over a surge in cases and bemoaned stuttering vaccination rollouts...
By Vanessa Buschschlüter When Guillermo Lasso took up office as Ecuador's president in May, there was little doubt that he would face an uphill struggle. The images of bodies lying in the streets of Guayaquil as Ecuador's most populous city struggled to bury those who...
The Ministry of Health is offering Covid-19 booster shots to residents 65 and older in eight more provinces beginning today. The boosters are also now available in the urban districts of Quito. Eligible residents in Chimborazo, Pastaza, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Los Ríos,...
The cost of airline tickets is on the increase, according to the International Air Transport Association. IATA said the price hikes will affect both national and international flights, worldwide. “There are two major factors driving air travel costs higher in all...
By Sherry Liang A full belly makes a happy heart, but your heart will be happier if you focus on sustaining long-term habits. Heart-healthy eating starts with your eating patterns, according to the American Heart Association's recent scientific statement, "2021...
Ecuador will pay $5.123 billion in subsidies in 2022, including $1.33 billion for fuel, if President Guillermo Lasso’s budget proposal is approved by the National Assembly. The largest subsidy will go to the country’s Social Security system, which was financially...
Two foreigners are challenging the decision by local Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials to deny their application for permanent residency. Officials at the Zone 6 office, located in Azogues, based the denial on the fact that the applicants had not been in Ecuador...
By Marco Ugarte and Lissette Romero Mexico returned Sunday to mass commemorations of the Day of the Dead, after traditional visits to graveyards were prohibited last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the one-year hiatus showed how the tradition itself...
Officials and business owners throughout the country say tourism could set records during the long Cuenca independence and Day of the Dead holiday weekend. “If the numbers are not the best ever, they are certainly approaching the level we had before the coronavirus...
By Sylvan Hardy If you want to stir up a spirited discussion among Ecuador expats, bring up the subject of tipping. Ask what you should leave the waitress, the tour guide, the baggage handler, or the maid, and you’ll likely get as many answers are there are expats in...
President Guillermo Lasso announced Monday that the marine reserve surrounding the Galapagos Islands will expand by 60,000 square kilometers, an enlargement of almost 50 percent of the current preserve. Lasso made the announcement at the United Nations Climate Change...
Following five days of service reductions, the union representing bus owners says Cuenca public buses will resume a full schedule Monday, November 1. Since last Tuesday, only one bus line operated in the morning while service was limited in the afternoon and evening....
Although the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) agreed to suspend last week’s protests, it says its main demand remains unchanged: that the government freeze fuel prices at $2.10 a gallon for diesel and $1.50 for regular gasoline. Conaie...
Dear Paulee, I saw my first condors gliding high over Chican last weekend; they were scanning the valleys of grassland often full of bubbly clouds spilling over the high country of Amazonia and gliding down a patchwork of meadows heading towards Cuenca. I am already...
By Chris Hippi Traveler The phrase “expat life” is similar to the word “travel” in the sense that they both conjure up romantic images of far-off destinations. They hint of the sights and sounds of unusual cultures. They promise excitement at saying your first short...
The biggest problem tourists, expats and locals face during Cuenca’s independence celebration is deciding which fairs and expositions to visit. Most feature arts and crafts and food but others display -- and usually sell -- livestock, collectibles, antiques, old cars...
By Sylvan Hardy There’s a reason why a recent edition of a popular travel guide called Cuenca the cleanest city in Latin America. Actually, there are 230 reasons. They are the city’s street cleaners, armed with brooms, dust pans and garbage carts, most of them begin...
By Liam Higgins A little before three in the afternoon on December 9, 1995, a screaming came across the sky that was heard by almost all the residents of Cuenca. In the Cajas Mountains, just west of city, the shrill sound was described as “una mujer en el terror,” or...
After earlier insisting it would “remain in the streets,” the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) decided Thursday afternoon to suspend its anti-government protests. Several of Conaie’s protest partners had announced Wednesday night that they...
