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Fundacion Pachamama, an indigenous non-profit organization opposed to President Rafael Correa plan to drill for oil in Ecuador’s eastern jungles, says it will fight the government order to shut down its operations. In its Wedneday order, the government alleged...
The creation of jobs is still post-recession America's and Europe’s nightmare. In September, the U.S. unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, a mere 0.6 percentage points lower than it was the previous year, whereas in the European Union it was 12.2 percent, a point...
Cuenca’s new bus system is causing widespread confusion among city commuters. Called integrated transport by the city’s transportation office, the new system is based around two transfer stations where passengers can change buses at no additional cost. The city says...
By the weekend, customers will see price increases for both cigarettes and beer in city supermarkets, tiendas and mercados. The increases are the result of a decision by distributors and producers. The cost of a Pilsner grande (600cc) rises from 90 cents to a dollar....
Citizens of Quito are demanding that the city do something about the dead dogs that litter streets and highways. Residents of one neighborhood walked two Quito city councilmen through area streets last week, pointing out the remains of two dogs killed in traffic....
Ecuador hopes to sign a trade agreement with the European Union by early 2014, President Rafael Correa said Friday, saying that it would not lead to an outright free trade pact. "We will negotiate and seek to sign an accord with the European Union, but not at any...
Although China’s economic influence is growing rapidly throughout Latin America, no where is it more evident than in Ecuador where it enjoys a near-monopoly of crude exports. Critics of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa say that the Chinese influence has gone too far...
The rector of the University of Cuenca says he is “surprised and upset” by the latest government rankings of Ecuador’s univerities. The University of Cuenca, the largest public university in southern Ecuador with more than 20,000 students, was downgraded from category...
Ecuador Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño says that between 6,000 and 7,000 Spanish professionals have relocated to Ecuador in recent months to work in the country's growing education and health care sectors. Speaking at the end of a three-day visit to China, Patiño...
Ecuadorian authorities in helicopters have flown into the Amazon to rescue an indigenous girl kidnapped in a tribal dispute, the interior ministry said Tuesday. The child was abducted in April after a clash that left an undetermined number of people dead, the ministry...
The rhetoric is heating up in the legal battle between Chevron Corp. and Ecuador over oil pollution in the 1970s. Ecuador charges that Chevron is engaging in a “smear campaign” while the oil company calls Ecuador’s claim for environmental damage “illigitimate.”...
Ecuadorians, including dozens of Cuencanos, are heading to the U.S. to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving sales that mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Airlines flying to the U.S., particularly to Miami, report that out-going flights are full from...
Ecuador Vice President Jorge Glas has accused U.S. Ambassador Adam Namm of interfering in the country’s internal affairs, claiming that the ambassador violated an international convention that regulates diplomatic relations between nations. "Ecuador is a sovereign...
Cuenca’s new bus transfer system will be tested for the first time this weekend. The city’s Municipal Traffic Department says that the tests-runs will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday because of reduced passenger loads. The new transfer stations are located at...
When U.S. Secretary of State proclaimed an end to the centuries-old Monroe doctrine earlier this week, the collective response of Latin American governments was a less-than-deafening “so what.” Few governments, in fact, bothered to comment. In what the U.S. called a...
Ecuador’s new Minister of Tourism Vinicio Alvarado says he wants to turn the country into a “tourism powerhouse,” announcing that the government will invest $600 million in tourism advertising and development over the next four years. In addition to getting the word...
The government is giving the country’s food industry six months to to add health labels to processed foods. The Ministry of Health says that the labeling is designed to warn consumers of of “substances that are harmful to health,” including high sugar, fat and salt...
The Pumapungo Museum on Calle Larga program aims at making its exhibitions more engaging for school children. A new program sponsored by the national Ministry of Culture is training 50 University of Cuenca students to work as volunteer guides and workshop ...
In a visit to France, President Rafael Correa said he believes a long-awaited trade agreement between Ecuador and the Eurpean Union (EU) can be reached in early 2014. The announcement came after the European Parliament’s Commerce Commission decided not to analyze...
Ecuador’s possible scrapping of a bilateral investment treaty with the United States could lead to loss of American investment in the country, Washington’s envoy warned Monday. "If the bilateral investment treaty is canceled that would obviously have...
