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Some mornings in Cuenca I think the most popular language isn’t Spanish or English, but “confused WhatsApp.” Gringos tap, swipe, and stab at their phones, muttering things like “why won’t it translate?” and “what did she say about my molar?” I’m here to tell you that...
It is difficult to exclaim which ethnic foods are the most favorite in the world. The most popular ethnic foods vary by region, but analysis of Google Trends data showed five favorites. Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Thai, and Indian cuisines consistently rank among the...
Ecuador’s cut-flower exporters claim the Conaie strike is costing them between one and two million dollars a day. In addition, they are demanding government protection from protesters who have invaded their farms, caused damage to facilities and threatened employees....
The Ecuador emergency service ECU911 reports that the “vast majority” of major highways in the country are open with traffic flowing normally. The exception, the service says, are roads in the central and northern sierra and in the northern Amazon region that have...
Bored? Tres días de música clásica - The Festival Música Ocupa will come to Cuenca with a program that will take classical music off conventional stages and bring it to historic, social and public spaces. Promoted by the Fundación InConcierto, this initiative is a...
Walk any calle in Cuenca and you’ll see two things that never change: the tiled roofs overhead and the brown deposits underfoot. For every mural that brightens a wall, there’s a pile of dog poop decorating the pavement. It’s the city’s most democratic hazard and rich...
The government said Thursday it is beginning the process of revoking the mining license for the Loma Larga mining project. In a statement, the presidential press office said the government has accepted the environmental reports presented by Cuenca Mayor Cristian...
By Frances A. Hogg It happened to me twice in so many months. I had paid a worker in cash only to have a ten-dollar bill returned to me a day later. I could see immediately that it was fake. The number in the lower left corner was brown, not the coppery-gold color it...
Despite several attempts by protesters to block highways, the National Traffic Commission (CTE) reported early Thursday that road access to Cuenca remains open throughout Azuay and other provinces. “Traffic is flowing normally on all major highways despite some...
The mayor of Cuenca, Cristian Zamora; and the prefect of Azuay Province, Cristóbal Lloret, delivered technical reports about the environmental impact of the Loma Larga mine, formerly known as Quimsacocha. The two met with the governor of Azuay, Xavier Bermúdez Monday...
Bored? Cámara Lúcida trae 56 películas de 36 países - From el 24/9 to el 3/10, Cuenca will be the epicenter for the 9th Festival Internacional de Cine Cámara Lúcida. There will be 56 films from 36 countries, distributed in 7 sections. All functions are free and the 2...
Although there were limited clashes with police in Otavalo, Latacunga and Quito Tuesday, most protests in the national strike were relatively peaceful, National Police report. In Cuenca, there were morning and afternoon marches to the government offices on Parque...
The Federation of Indigenous and Peasant Organizations of Azuay (FOA) announced it will begin an indefinite strike Tuesday with a protest on the Pan American Highway at the entrance to Victoria del Portete. FOA is demanding the government permanently revoke the...
A prison riot in Machala has left at least 14 people dead, including a guard. According to National Police, the violence was the result of a conflict between members of the Los Choneros and Los Lobos gangs. Following the first reports of gunfire within the prison,...
By Scott Levine DATELINE: Cuenca, Ecuador 2014. SuperMaxi shelves have never known Heinz 57 ketchup. Mariscal Lamar and Gran Colombia are torn up for future Tranvia tracks. Expats arrive in big numbers, drawn by Cuenca’s affordability and beauty and informed by...
Although the national strike called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) is off to slow start, leaders say activities will pick up this week. The strike was called Thursday to protest the elimination of the diesel fuel subsidy, mining and oil...
Despite fears of highway blockages and mass protests, the latest call for a nationwide strike by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) has created minimal disruption. Conaie strikes in 2015, 2019 and 2022 began with a bang, with hundreds of roadblocks...
Bored?- Llega la Fiesta de la Luna - -Septiembre is the time for connections with nature and with ancestral memory in the Andes. Killa Raymi, or the Fiesta of the Moon, is commemorated with ceremonies, rituals and cultural expressions in various parts of the country,...
I first heard the phrase Alligator Alcatraz over a cup of instant coffee in Cuenca. To me it sounded like one of those old Florida roadside attractions, the kind with faded billboards on Highway 41 between Naples and Miami promising “See Live Gators, Only $1.” I...
The significance of Tuesday’s massive turnout for Cuenca's “Great March for Water” could extend far beyond shutting down the Loma Larga gold mine. “This will have an impact far beyond Cuenca and could change the political landscape of the country,” Azuay Province...
