Blog

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 enforcement did not go smoothly, however. Police near the park found themselves spending more...

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 ocean surface temperatures and occur, on average, twice a decade. In recent...

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 projects on the Incan Trail. Ecuador President Rafael Correa made an unannounced visit...

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 the focus of criticism from groups claiming that they...

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 authorities, were causing traffic and pedestrian congestion. Although the recently renovated market is...

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 the crisis facing this country and the rest of the world,” Cabrera said. According to...

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 Eradication Act, Obama declined to determine either that Bolivia had satisfied the requirements of the act or that Ecuador failed...

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 Gloria Sabando, Superintendent of Banks. Sabando provided examples of new rates for a...

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. Ecuadorian authorities, including President Rafael Correa, say that the current system makes it too easy for criminals to obtain weapons and...

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 operating illegally. According to municipal spokesperson Juan Estaban, Calle Larga and the...