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A new penal code that went into effect three weeks ago has stiffened penalties for crimes ranging from murder to “undocumented private enrichment” to graffiti. The code defines 730 crimes in all, including 77 that did not exist before. The National Assembly says the...
The head of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's hitmen, a confessed murderer nicknamed "Popeye," was released from prison after helping prosecutors convict a former justice minister. John Jairo Velasquez Vasquez has confessed to killing 300 people and organizing...
After sending mixed signals on the issue, President Rafael Correa says the country is ready to grant full rights to same-sex couples. Beginning September 15, same-sex couples will receive the same benefits that their married heterosexual counterparts already enjoy....
As opposition to Cuenca’s new light rail system mounts, its leaders are accusing new Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera of betrayal. Project opponents, almost all of them property and business owners in the historic district, say that Cabrera had campaigned on promises to...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that Ecuador has shown “significant economic and social progress” within the last decade. "Economic growth has averaged about 4.5% since 200, while inflation has decreased to about 3% a year,” an IMF report said....
Cuenca city bus fares are probably headed higher. The current fare of 25 cents has been in place since 2003 and has, since 2008, been maintained by government subsidies. Government officials, from President Rafael Correa to Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera, say an...
By Andres Oppenheimer Watching President Barack Obama at his mega-summit with nearly 50 African heads of state in Washington, D.C., in which he announced $33 billion in investments and vowed to increase access to electricity to 60 million African households, many of...
Six months after it imposed trade restrictions on 292 products, Ecuador’s Ministry of Industries says imports have been reduced by 29%. Government officials and a number of economists say, however, that it is unlikely that the restrictions, which come in the form of...
By William K. Black Under the banner "Latin America News" the Wall Street Journal has poured out its pain that the people of Ecuador might reelect President Rafael Correa. The article is actually an editorial attacking Correa and the people of Ecuador for potentially...
What were the biggest issues new Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera faced in his first 100 days in office? That’s easy, he says. Taxi fares and the tram. Although he said he has worked on a number of major projects, including reorganizing city government to "maximize...
By Susan Schenck “It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that someone has been murdered!” announced Hugh Dunnit (a.k.a. Hugh Loomis) in a British accent so smooth, it fooled a lady from England. A mesmerized audience of 60 at Paladar’s Restaurante Dinner...
The long-awaited evaluation of Cuenca’s light rail project and renovation plans for San Francisco Square began yesterday as a technical team from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) met with city officials. The team will...
Residents of Latin America and the Caribbean were the least likely among all global regions last year to feel secure in their communities. In 2013, the region scored a 56 (on a scale from 0 to 100) on Gallup's Law and Order Index, which is based on confidence in local...
As strong earthquake aftershocks continue to plague Quito and the surrounding area, Quito Mayor Mauricio Rodas urged residents to avoid attending public events as well as unnecessary travel on roads prone to landslides. Quito experienced 4.7 and 4.0 aftershocks on...
President Rafael Correa reaffirmed this week that Ecuador’s use of the U.S. dollar as its official currency will continue "indefinitely." Although Correa said that the dollar was not his preferrence, he said that it had helped stabilized the national economy, spurred...
Uruguay turned into an international star in the drug legalization movement when it became the first country in the world to approve the growth, sale and distribution of marijuana. But inch by inch, countries across Latin America are also softening their approaches...
Cuenca’s Municipal Control Agency has shut down construction on one site and is considering closing others in the environmental buffer zone just east of the Cajas National Park. The department says that property owners, many of them foreigners, are not abiding by...
The European Union plans to urge Latin American countries from providing Russia with agricultural produce, saying it would be unfair and ‘difficult to justify.’ “We will be talking to the countries that would potentially replacing our exports to indicate that we would...
A magnitude-5.1 earthquake rocked Quito and the surrounding areas early Tuesday afternoon, causing tall buildings to sway and sending some people rushing into the streets. The government said three people were confirmed dead and eight injured outside Quito. A a 4.1...
By Susan Schenck Culture shock usually revolves around traveling to and through a country you’ve never visited before. So it’s a surprise to experience it in the culture to which you’re most accustomed. I took a bus to Guayaquil to catch my flight on Copa, which...
