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The government announced Tuesday that it will assume management of planning and the training emergency personnel in an region west of the Cotopaxi volcano. The move comes after Cesar Navas, national coordinator for Cotopaxi emergency planning, talked to local...
As Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute continues to report high levels of activity at the Cotopaxi volcano, the government’s Ministry of Security and Risk Management says it is examining emergency plans of communities close to the volcano. “We are looking at plans to make...
Quito judge Gloria Pinzón on Monday ordered the release of Manuela Picq, a French-Brazilian professor and contributor to the Al Jazeera news service. Picq, who is the partner of anti-government protest leader Carlos Perez, was arrested Thursday during a protest march...
Cuenca's new tram is the largest mass transit project in the city's history, with construction estimated to cost more than $230 million. It will have the capacity to transport 120,000 passengers a day over a 21-kilometer route. The route runs from the southeast area...
A retired U.S. geology professor who spends part of the year in Cuenca, says the city will feel no direct effects if the Cotopaxi volcano erupts. George Lassiter, who conducted field studies of Ecuador’s volcanoes when he was an adjunct professor at the University of...
When a man complained Sunday to Ecuador’s Minister of Security, César Navas, that he was put on hold when he phoned 911 for the latest information about the Cotopaxi volcano, Navas made the same call. After identifying himself and asking for a volcano update, he too...
This interview with Mario Ruiz, director of Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute, was conducted Friday night by Erika Guarachi of El Comercio in Quito. Since then, there have been several more explosions at the volcano. The Geophysical Institute reported Monday morning...
By Jacob Poushter Secretary of State John Kerry made a historic visit to Havana, Cuba, on Friday to raise the flag at the U.S. Embassy, signifying a re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the neighboring countries. Although this action has its critics,...
Like other local residents, Cuenca expats are all-too familiar with the disruptions caused by construction of the Cuenca's tram system. In many areas of town, vehicular and pedestrian traffic have been chaotic since work began in early 2013. When the system is...
Although life has returned to normal in Cuenca following Thursday’s anti-government protest, it remains frustratingly abnormal for motorists heading to Loja and Quito. Mostly indigenous protesters and police played a cat and mouse game Saturday, as roadblocks were...
An overflight of the Cotopaxi volcano Saturday afternoon confirmed the presence of small pyroclastic flows from the crater but showed there was no immediate danger of ice melt and the formation of lahars. Lahars are avalanches of mud, rock, and ash that are usually...
By Walter Panko August 13th was scheduled to be National Strike Day in Ecuador and my wife and I didn’t know what to expect. We had arrived in Cuenca only 10 days earlier, moving into temporary housing in the historic district while we searched for something...
Thanks again to Davidsbeenhere for uploading this video of Turi. From nearly anywhere in Cuenca, look south (toward the rivers), then raise your gaze and you'll see a big white church on a hill. The Church of Turi, offers a commanding view of the entire Andean valley...
Take a walk through the hat factory at El Barranco. Thanks to Davidsbeenhere for uploading this great video. It’s one of the world’s classic riddles and abiding ironies that Panama hats are, and have always been, made in Ecuador. Read more about Panama hats here....
New explosions in the crater of the Cotopaxi volcano are showering communities south of Quito with a light ash fall, prompting residents to don paper breathing masks. Two early morning blasts on Friday were followed by four more in the afternoon and early Saturday...
The House of Representatives has passed a bill that will allow the government to seize passports from anyone that they feel may be a threat to national security. Although the bill's stated objective is to restrict potential terrorist movements, opponents say it is...
The intensity of nationwide anti-government protests was dramatically lower on Friday as Thursday's sometimes-violent confrontations between protesters and police did not repeat. Although there were marches and speeches in Quito, Cuenca and other cities, there were...
Two explosions were recorded at the Cotopaxi volcano early Friday morning and falling ash and a strong odor of sulfur were reported as far north as Quito. The explosions occurred a few minutes past 4 a.m. and set off a swarm of small earthquakes, the largest a...
By Christopher Lux When Lindsay Burton began planning San Sebas Café, she envisioned a place where university students would drink good coffee, talk, read and work. The café was inspired by the eclectic coffee-shop scene she fell in love with while living in Austin,...
A national strike sponsored by Ecuador indigenous groups led to clashes between anti-government protesters and police in several areas of Ecuador on Thursday, and several dozen injuries were reported. Roads were closed in many locations although army personnel and...
