Carnaval events throughout Azuay Province; Vehicle registration resumes; City council allows lot size exceptions; Symphony and mariachi team up

Bored>? –
(De El Mercurio del viernes, 13/2) Sinfónica y Mariachi darán un concierto (Symphony orchestra and mariachi band to give concert) – About 70 musicians from the Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca, conducted by invited director Patricio Mora, and from the Mariachi Sol de América will perform el 14/2 a las 19:00 in the Teatro Casa de la Cultura. The 2 hour show will include interpretations of popular works by artists such as Juan Gabriel, Luis Miguel, Vicente Fernández, Alejandro Fernández, and José José. <I’d expect that the audience will be singing along.> The mariachi will be directed by Cristian Tacuri Álvarez who arranged the music both for his group and for the orchestra.

Saturday morning’s parade is one of the highlights of Carnival in Cuenca.

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 13/2) Agenda de Carnaval 2026 (2026 Carnival Schedule) – This schedule is for the main events in the 15 cantons in Azuay and includes a map. <This is for those of you ambitious and energetic enough to go out of town for Carnaval. Enjoy yourselves. Or just stay at home and stay dry.>
Cuenca – 13/2 Color Fest (now over>)
14/2 – 09:00 – Carnaval parade from Parque San Blas
20:00 – Concert with Nicky Jam & Trebol Clan
Camilo Ponce Enríquez – 15/2 – 14:00 – Carnaval parade at Shumiral
Pucará – 15/2 – 14:00 – Comparsas parade in San Rafael de Sharug
21:00 – Baile Carnavalero in San Rafael de Sharug
San Fernando – 15/2 – 14:00 – Carnaval 2026 at the Laguna de Busa
Santa Isabel – 15/2 – 16:00 – Bakansote 2026 in Yunguilla
Girón – 15/2 – 19:00 – Performance y Los Dukes at the Parque 25 de Junio
Oña – 15/2 – 9:00 – Carnavales 2026 in the Parque Central
Nabón – 15/2 – 10:00 – Comparsas parade at the Plaza Central
13:00 – Performance by Venus Orquesta in the Plaza Central
Sígsig – 15/2 – 13:00 – Cultural parade through the downtown streets
16/2 – 14:00 – Carnavalada Internacional with Match and Daddy, Los del Río at the Playa de Zhingate
Chordeleg – 15/2 – 10:00 – Festival de dulces y sabores at the Plaza José María Vargas
11:00 – Parade and election of the Queen of Carnaval in the downtown streets
16/2 – 10:00 – Música carnavalera in the Plaza José María Vargas
Gualaceo – 15/2 – 10:00 – Río Gualaceo Carnaval parade on Avenida Jaíme Roldós
16/2 – 13:00 – Música en el Río at the Concha Acústica
17/2 – ?? – Festival del Acordeón at the Concha Acústica
El Pan – 15/2 – 20:00 – Performance by the Grupo Deseo in the San Vicente parish
16/2 – 20:00 – Performance by the Sonora Dinamita in the Parque Padre Albíno del Curto
Guachapala – 15/2 – 14:00 – Carnaval parade in the canton center
18:00 – Organización X and Trio Colonial in the Plaza Central
Sevilla de Oro – 15/2 – 14:00 – Comparsas parade at the Plaza Cívica
16/2 – 20:00 – Noche de confraternidad in the Plaza Cívica
17/2 – 11:00 – Feria Gastronómica at Río Collay
Paute – 15/2 – 10:00 – Carnaval parade on the downtown streets
16:00 – Festival Artístico <I think these will be musical performances> on the Río Paute
16/2 – 14:00 – Comparsa Taita Carnaval on Avenida Luís Enríque Vázquez
16:00 – Festival Artístico on the Río Paute

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del viernes, 13/2) Padre continúa con la venta (Father continues with the sale) – Luis Caicedo has been driving between Tiwinza and Cuenca with loads of produce to pay for medical treatment for his daughter who is in the hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso. He arrived at the hospital la mañana de jueves to sell yuca, chonta and green plantain after leaving the night before. His first customers had been waiting for him since 5:00, although he arrived at 10:00 due to a mechanical problem. He thanked everyone for supporting him including doctors, nurses and patients at the hospital. <I think we all need to get some news that makes us feel better about the state of the world right now.>

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 13/2) ANT rehabilita matriculación de vehículos nuevos (ANT reinstates registration of new vehicles) – ANT has restarted the system so that new vehicles can be registered in 4 more cities: Riobamba, Ambato, Cuenca and Loja, in addition to Guayaquil and Quito. The reactivation was needed after the Attorney General’s office and Policía Nacional intervened at the institution in the “Jaque” case to investigate a network of corruption inside ANT. This measure was adopted as part of a process of institutional cleaning up linked to the investigation. Mario Castro, provincial director of AMT in Azuay explained that there was no intervention in the Azuay office, nor is it under investigation. It was closed, however, due to suspension of services nationally.

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 13/2) Se aprueba reforma sobre lote mínimo (Reform on minimum lot size approved) – The Cantonal Council approved a reform to the regulations that govern land use and management with the goal addressing the current impossibility of dividing and constructing on inherited land that does not meet legal lot minimums. To now, when a piece of land does not comply with established dimensions, heirs cannot subdivide nor build, leaving many families in legal limbo. The reform incorporates an exception which allows, only one time, subdividing and building on land that does not comply with the minimum lot size, only in cases of inheritances or irrevocable gifts from parents to children. The ordinance establishes that the new lots need to be at least 120 square meters in area and with a minimum frontage of 6 meters on a public street or neighborhood road <That would be a narrow strip of dirt, rocks, and potholes a mule would have trouble walking on.>