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New Cuenca mayor Paul Granda participated in the traditional shamanic cleansing ceremony Friday in Pumapungo, the site considered sacred for thousands of years but such cultures as the Canar and Inca. Pumapungo, behind the Banco Central on the eastern fringe of...
President Rafael Correa will be in Cuenca today for the swearing-in ceremony of new Cuenca mayor Paul Granda and other elected officials. The ceremony begins at 11 in San Blas Park with the traditional shamanic cleansing and blessing followed by the unveiling of a...
The day before Paul Granda assumes duties as Cuenca’s new mayor, his war of words over the city’s financial condition continues to rage with outgoing mayor Marcelo Cabrera. The point of contention is the size of the city debt and whether accounts...
Police at Calderon Park have begun issuing tickets to pedestrians violating Ecuador’s new traffic laws. The first citations for those not using marked crosswalks were handed out on Monday at the intersection of Calles Cordero and Bolivar. The first day of...
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting that the eastern Pacific will experience an El Niño in late 2009 and early 2010, with Ecuador and Peru bearing the brunt of the weather. El Niños are triggered by a rise in...
Fifty-four hikers from 15 countries set out on the annual Ruta Inka expedition July 3 in Pasto, Colombia, with plans to arrive in Ingapirca, Ecuador’s largest Incan ruin, 45 miles north of Cuenca, August 12. The annual trek highlights restoration and historical...
The men and women listened to the pitch intently. Ecuadorean immigrants, each had made sacrifices to make the journey north, to live the American dream. Only now, there was a new call - the Ecuadorean dream? "Welcome home," said Pablo Calle, an Ecuadorean...
As sister cities, Cuenca and Tempe, Arizona, may seem like an odd couple but organizers of the new alliance say that it is a great deal for both communities. According to Richard Boroto, Cuenca representative in organizing the new partnership, Tempe is an excellent...
The Azuay Provincial Court has ordered turnstiles on city buses to be removed by end of October. The July 10 ruling cannot be appealed. Installed in most buses when the new charge card and exact change procedures went into affect in January, the turnstiles have been...
If you shop at Cuenca’s Ninth of October market, you’ll find getting into and out of the area a little easier these days. On Thursday, police began clearing the streets and sidewalk near the market of unlicensed street vendors who, according to...
Cuenca’s Mayor Marcelo Cabrera acknowledged on Monday that the city faces serious economic challenges and could have difficulty meeting all of its 2009 budget obligations. “We are faring better than most municipalities in Ecuador but we are not immune from...
U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Ecuador would continue to enjoy trade preferences, while extending Bolivia's suspension from the program. In reviewing the countries' eligibility for the two countries' Andean Trade Promotion and Drug...
The cost of banking is about to get cheaper. Ecuador’s National Bank Board reported Thursday that 32 banks will lower their service costs by between 20% and 80% beginning July 1. "Bank customers will see charges reduced all over the country,” said...
Ecuador’s armed forces last week began transferring responsibility for the permitting of firearms to the national police. In addition to the change of authority, the new system will establish an up-graded computerized database of gun ownership....
Calle Large is getting overloaded with bars and night clubs, according to Cuenca officials, and the government intends to do something about it. Many of the establishments in the area lack proper permits, officials say, and efforts are underway to shut down those...
Ever wondered about the story behind those large, adhesive “Clausurado” signs plastered on the doors of closed-down businesses? Most of us know they’re the result of a business failing to pay taxes or violating other government regulations. Few...
Since I moved to Ecuador a dozen years ago, I’ve made a point of visiting my friends in Vilcabamba at least once a year. I was enchanted with this peaceful, isolated valley the first time I saw it in 1998 and even considered settling there until business...
Lessons in how the world works and portraits of the never-ending struggles in places around the globe where power is challenged by populist resistance: such matters are a concern of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, which this year celebrates its...
Sunday’s national parliamentary election means sales of alcoholic beverages, either in bars and restaurants or, in stores, are suspended from noon on Friday, June 12, until after polls close on Sunday, June 14. The idea behind the dry period, as defined in...
World Trade Organization members agreed on Thursday to allow Ecuador to impose temporary import restrictions because of balance of payments problems. The move was hailed by rich and developing countries as proof that the rules-based trading system umpired by the WTO...
