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Outside the modest two-story adobe house, a flag of Ecuador flutters alongside a large sign that reads "Ikat: weaving demonstrations and sales." Hanks of yarn and colourful fabrics hang from the handrail running around the edge of the courtyard and balcony,...
By Edd Staton I took the time to read through some of the online forums dedicated to Ecuador this weekend and noticed something interesting. On the one hand, there were folks totally gung-ho about making the “big move;” others were quite timid and unsure,...
Appealing directly to Ecuador´s citizens, President Rafael Correa is complaining that his call for a national referendum on issues he says are critical to Ecuador´s future is being opposed by political opponents he calls “the old guard.” Twice...
Reportedly, Cuenca´s historic district has 53 churches, one for every week of the year. You can see the oldest, the largest, and the most ornate within three blocks of the central plaza. Another two mark the east and west boundaries of colonial El Centro....
The least expensive “space” we examined in Cuenca was at the Hostal El Hogar Cuencano on Hermano Miguel just north of Calle Larga across from the Escalinata: $6 with shared bath in a dorm room with three twins. Private rooms are $8 per person, and among...
One of the hemisphere’s fiercest sibling rivalries might get played out on a national stage. Fabricio Correa — the older brother of Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa — said he would challenge him at the ballot box in 2012 unless a more viable...
A survey by Cuenca´s Vehicular Technology Review committee reports what most Cuencanos already know: that most of the city´s air pollution is the result of bus, car and truck exhaust. The survey found that 85% to 90% of pollution is caused by the...
Editor´s note: Edd Staton is a Cuenca resident, writer and community activist. He is author of the Edd Said blog, www.eddsaid.blogspot.com, and writes a column for Cuenca´s afternoon newspaper, La Tarde. I am back in the U.S. with my wife for the...
Confusion continues to reign regarding the rules for Sunday´s national census, in part because Ecuador´s census officials are still tinkering with the details. The government´s mandate that citizens, residents and tourists remain in...
Cuenca escaped the heavy rains that caused floods in Colombia and northern Ecaudor but has received enough to replenish the city´s rivers and fill the downstream reservoirs that generate most of the country´s electricity. Before the rains began two...
If you´ve made plans for Sunday, Nov. 28, cancel them. That´s the day when half a million workers will visit almost every household in Ecuador to gather information for the 2010 census. Unless you´re an emergency service worker, a member of the...
Democracy has taken root in Latin America, but remains fragile three decades since coup-imposed military regimes were replaced by freely elected governments, a new U.N. report warns. It says drug violence, weak states with corrupt police and inefficient courts, and...
Cuenca´s tourist information office reports that complaints about taxi fares always increase during holiday seasons and this year is no exception. Juan Sebastian Maldonado, an official with iTUR, says that most complaints involve taxi fare from the...
After weeks of delays and hundreds of dollars in contributions from Cuenca’s expat community, the memorial mural honoring Gualaceao native Marcelo Lucero, murdered in the U.S. in 2008, was dedicated Saturday at Gualaceo’s Casona Municipal. The mural was...
Although there is overwhelming consensus that there was never a coup attempt during last week’s police strike, President Rafael Correa refuses to give up the idea that the strike was an effort to destabilize his government. In his weekly television and radio...
Cuenca remained peaceful Thursday as a strike by national police turned violent in Guayaquil and Quito. Many Cuenca stores and banks closed for part of the day but local police remained on duty. Because of an airport closure in Quito, Cuenca’s airport was shut...
Jorge Rojas, director of the Azuay Civil Registry says that no marriages between Ecuadorians and non-Ecuadorians have been challenged in the province. Nationwide, immigration officials have revoked the citizenship of more than 200 foreigners married to Ecuadorians,...
Those living on Cuenca’s west side, especially in neighborhoods bordering Av. Ordonez Lazo, can expect major traffic disruptions that will last for a year. According to Cuenca transportation officials, construction of an overpass at the Simón...
Concerned with an increase in crime, provincial and city governments have increased the number of local law enforcement personnel in Cuenca by more than 600. The number includes 400 Army troops, trained in law enforcement, who are focusing on eliminating...
AirCuenca finally took to the skies August 2, four months behind schedule. According to a company spokesperson, the delay was due to an unexpectedly lengthy approval process by Ecuador’s civil aviation authority. The new airline flies between Cuenca, Quito and...
