Posts:
Following its November 16 referendum defeat, the government said Monday it is ready to talk. “We understand it is time to open dialog with all segments of society,” said newly appointed Government Minister Nataly Morillo. “It is time to listen to what the people have...
By Michael Mehmet In June 1967, the world’s first “automated teller machine” or “ATM” was unveiled at a branch of Barclays Bank in north London in a grand ceremony. That very first system looked a bit different to the one we know and use today. But almost six decades...
Editor’s note: This is the third of a four-part series about Married at First Sight, the international reality television show. The show originated in Denmark in 2013 and now has franchises in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The first part was My...
By Richard Sima You might think spending time on your smartphone or computer is bad for your brain. Indeed, “brain rot” — the slang term for a mental decline caused by mindlessly consuming social media or digital dreck — was Oxford Dictionary’s 2024 Word of the Year....
Once you've decided to move, the health insurance question becomes paramount. This is especially true as Ecuador has laws mandating that residents carry some form of coverage. For most expats, the choice boils down to two main paths: the public IESS buy-in or a...
The Trump administration’s drone strikes against boats allegedly bringing illicit drugs to the US come amid an explosion in the amount of cocaine being produced in Colombia and Peru. But there is a new – and lethal – factor that is turbo-charging production –...
If President Daniel Noboa lost his political mojo in last week’s referendum defeat, leaders of the Correista movement, which should have benefited from the outcome, are suddenly at each other’s throats. Noboa, who had gone silent following the November 16 defeat,...
Toronto-based mining company Dundee Precious Metals (DPM) is once again under fire for its environmental track record and relationship with local communities in Ecuador. Yesterday, 106 organizations and 48 university professors, lawyers, Indigenous leaders, and human...
Bored? - (De El Mercurio del sábado, 22/11) Muestra fotográfica en Museo de Paja Toquilla (Photo exhibit at the Museo de Paja Toquilla) - The Museo de la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero is showing a photo exhibit, "La fiesta religiosa en la comunidad campesina" (The...
Ecuador Ombudsman César Córdova has asked the Ministry of the Interior for access to the new high security Encuentro Prison in Santa Elena Province. “It is our constitutional duty to verify that prisoners are being treated humanely and that human rights protocols are...
By Isabel Alarcón We stepped into the wooden canoe bobbing on the murky water of the Santiago river, ready to visit one of the Amazon region's least-known ecosystems. Until very recently, scientists didn't even know which fish inhabited this part of the river, as it...
Editor’s note: This is the second of a four-part series about Married at First Sight, the international reality television show. The show originated in Denmark in 2013 and now has franchises in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Part 1 is My VPN took...
The term "dental work" can cover everything from a $150 cleaning to a $50,000 full-mouth restoration. So, when searching for the "cheapest dental work in the world," the answer depends entirely on what you need. It's critical to understand the two different categories...
By Phil Gunson Caracas, Venezuela’s neglected but beautiful capital, sits behind a forested, over 9,000-foot tall mountain that obscures the city’s proximity to the sea. From the summit, on a clear day, the Caribbean looks close enough to touch. Out there, over the...
Bored? - (De El Mercurio del miércoles, 19/11) Abren exposición sobre tradiciones campesinas (Exhibition on rural traditions opens) - El Museo de la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero (Rafael M. Arízaga y Luis Cordero) opened the "La fiesta religiosa en la comunidad...
Although prison officials admitted Tuesday that 10 inmates have died of tuberculosis since November 15 at Guayaquil’s Litoral prison, they are tight-lipped about hundreds of other non-violent deaths at the prison. According to an official statement, the deaths of 551...
By Samuel Cruz More than a dozen islands, formed millions of years ago, rise out of the Pacific Ocean 1,000km (600 miles) from Ecuador’s coast. Since 1959, 97% of the islands’ surface area has been designated a national park, to preserve rare animals and plants....
By Steven Dudley It was around 3 p.m. on July 19 when a young man stumbled into a small billiards hall in the coastal city of General Villamil Playas in southern Ecuador. Inside, a group of long-time friends was having a reunion. But the young man had a different...
One of the most profound and liberating shifts for North Americans moving to Ecuador is in healthcare financing. The costs in the private system are so remarkably low that many expats—even those in good health—choose to "self-insure". This doesn't mean they go without...
A lightning strike Wednesday afternoon destroyed part of the Christ the King monument located on Cullca Hill, north of Cuenca’s historic district. The strike, which occurred during an intense thunderstorm, sent masonry and marble fragments flying as far as 50 meters...
Week of September 20
Ecuador turns to industrial power cuts to protect Mazar and keep homes from going dark.
Ecuador raises its 2026 growth forecast, but El Niño could spoil the outlook next year.
Cuenca retirees challenge medical and therapy changes at IESS senior center.
