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Citizen complaints in Cuenca’s Cayambe barrio about brothels and sex workers have led to an increased police presence in the area. On Thursday, police examined the documents of two legal brothels and 22 prostitutes. The focus was determining that none of the sex...
A member of Coopera, the failed Cuenca financial cooperative, was arrested Tuesday when he attempted to get the attention of President Rafael Correa. Hernán Romulo was charged with “rebellion” and insulting Minister of Social Inclusion Doris Solís. Police say Romulo...
Only days after Ecuador’s weather service issued a drought alert for the sierra, heavy rains have caused flooding in Quito and areas to the north of the city. Cuenca, which had negligible rain fall in November and December also received day-long rains on Monday and...
The campaign for hundreds of public offices officially kicked off on Tuesday and President Rafael Correa has taken official leave to stump for candidates from his Pais political party. The election for municipal and provincial offices is Feb. 23. Correa began his...
There were no sacred cows at Sunday afternoon’s Day of the Innocents parade. Politicians, government policies, television personalities, expats, and even the dead, were lampooned during the three-hour procession down Cuenca’s Av. Huayna Capac. The parade, sponsored by...
Cantonal officials are asking citizens to conserve water due to low river and reservoir levels. They say that despite the light rain that has fallen since Saturday, low river levels will probably continue to be the norm for several weeks. The Cuenca utility company...
National Police are cracking down on sex trade workers near the bus station and along Av. Huayana Capac but say identifying prostitutes is often difficult. Authorities say that the sex business attracts crime and presents a bad image for the city. In addition to...
City lawyers are finding it slow going purchasing property along the route of the Av. Ordoñez Lasso reconstruction and widening project. Work is scheduled to begin in February on the 6.5-kilometer on the route that begins at the Av. Las Americas redondel but...
Although the National Transit Agency has set December 31 as the deadline for installing meters in the country’s taxis, the lack of a new rate schedule will delay the implementation of the new system in Cuenca for two to three months. A commission of taxi companies,...
The government liquidator of the Cuenca financial cooperative Coopera says that a new phase of payouts to unpaid credtiors and depositors will begin in January. Coopera was closed by the government in June following the arrest of top managers and several members of...
The city of Cuenca has rejected bids from five European companies for more than 200 bicycles to be used in the city’s bike rental program. The city said that all requirements were not met in the bids, including one to provide personal and property insurance and...
Cuenca mayor Paul Granda has unveiled plans for a $20 million make-over of Alejandro Serrano Aguilar stadium. Although he said some design and engineering issues remain to be resolved, work should begin by mid-2014. The project includes a new look for the stadium as...
A 13-kilometer bicycle tour is one of Cuenca’s newest tourist attractions, according to the city’s tourism foundation. The tour begins beside the Tomebamba River, on Paseo Tres de Noviembre in the El Vado area of the historic district, and concludes in Parque Paraiso....
Six members of the failed financial cooperative Coopera began a hunger strike Tuesday night in the Parque Carlderon glorieta. The group is demanding government action to reimburse more than 600 coop members affected by the coop’s closure. Coopera members and...
According to a consultant, Cuenca's cathedral requires $800,000 in repairs to stop leaks in the church’s roof. Water stains are clearly visible on the cathedral ceiling and, according to Fernando Salamea, lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of...
The Cantonal Council has decided to leave property tax assessments unchanged from last year although it plans to step up efforts to put more rural properties on the tax roles. Many rural properties are not registered, the council says. Council member Carlos Orellana...
Cuenca’s Municipal Tourism Foundation is exploring ways to increase the city’s tourist appeal beyond the historic district. Among the attractions the foundation says it will promote are the Cañar and Incan ruins in Todo Santos and Cojitambo as well as the artisanal...
Cuenca’s decision to crack down on unlicensed street and bus vendors is meeting resistance. Last Wednesday, about 70 vendors protested in Parque Calderon, claiming that their livelihood is being threatened. On Thursday, another protest was held on the Plaza Otorongo...
Cuenca’s Municipal Transit Authority, DMT, said it continues to study the pedestrian crossing problem on Av. Las Americas but cautions that it must complete its studies before adding new features. Residents of the Jacaranda Park neighborhood, near the entrance to the...
A hotel building boom is underway in Cuenca and current hotel and hostal owners are questioning the need for more rooms. Two mid-rise hotels are currently under construction in El Ejido, between the football stadium and Av. Solano, and a larger one, in the design...
