Ecuador’s inflation rate is lowest in South America; Int’l theater festival set for Oct.; Firefighters battle multiple blazes; Real estate fair at Quinta Lucrecia

Bored? –
(De El Mercurio del martes, 22/9) Feria inmobiliaria reunirá a más de 50 expositores (Real Estate fair to bring together more than 50 exhibitors) – The Cámara de Construcción de Cuenca will hold the Inmo Build Fair on the 26 & 17/9 at the Quinta Lucrecia. There will be real estate projects <probably more edificios if you’re condo shopping>, contractors, financial institutions, and materials providers <if you’re looking to remodel what you’ve already got>. The opening will be el 25/9 a las 18:00 with the fair opening to the public from 10:00-20:00 – free.

The fair is seeking to connect buyers and investors with real estate projects that are being developed in Cuenca and other cities in the country. There will also be technical talks aimed at the real estate sector. Financial institutions will have preferential interest rates for those acquiring their first home or a unit for investment. <Maybe you’re considering an investment visa?>

Cuenca’s Escenarios del Mundo (Stages of the World) theater festival begins opens October 1.

(De El Mercurio del martes, 22/9) Viernes Cultural de UPS se lo dedicará al pasillo (UPS’s “Cultural Friday” will be dedicated to the pasillo) – The Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (UPS – and you thought it was the shipping service with the brown trucks?> will have a new edition of their Cultural Friday dedicated to the Ecuadorian pasillo, a song and dance performance, which is an intangible cultural heritage of the country. The event will unite groups from the university campuses in Cuenca, Quito, and Guayaquil este viernes a las 19:30 in the Teatro Universitario P. Carlos Crespi.

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 23/9) En Escenarios del Mundo habrá arte de nueve países (“Stages from Around the World” will feature art from nine countries) – The 20th edition of the Festival Internacional de Artes Escénicas del Mundo will be from el 1-14/10 with performances by artists and companies from 9 countries with broad participation from Ecuador. Juan Andrade, director of the festival said the activities will go to parishes and communities in Azuay and Cañar. The programming will include theater, dance, oral narration <is that story telling or stand-up comedy or (God forbid) politicians giving speeches?>, music, and other stage performances <bubble or feather dancers?> Performances will be in venues such as the Theater Pumapungo and Parque de la Madre. The agenda is considering presentations for students and activities outside of traditional theater venues. The festival also includes a stage parade of 90 students, and complementary activities include a book fair, crafts, masks, costumes, instruments and gastronomy <food is important>.

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del martes, 22/9) Fuego forestal devasta vegetación en Cuenca (Forest fire devastates vegetation in Cuenca) – More than a dozen wildfires on el martes burned vegetation in and around Cuenca. Over the weekend and up to lunes, there were 20 wildfires including the San Pedro de Agua Santa Hill in Turi. According to residents, the fire started early on lunes, but they were unable to identify those who had caused it. The Bomberos (fire department) responded, but due to the difficulty of accessing the site, collaboration from the residents was needed to haul the hoses to the fire. The affected zone was a eucalyptus forest next to a ravine which made direct access difficult. The fire was totally extinguished after hours of work.

Other fires were in Sayausí, Racar, Santa Ana, and Chiquintad, all of which were put out. The firefighters called for citizens to avoid making campfires or burning certain types of products, much less starting a fire, which is considered a crime that can result in jail. <If you’re a smoker, don’t just flip your still lit cigarette to the side of the road or off your balcony into the weeds.>

(De El Mercurio del martes, 22/9) Designan al Comité de Debates (Debate Committee appointed) – The Plenary Session of the National Electoral Council designated the 5 members of the National Debate Committee for the interim elections. All members have extensive experience in academic institutions and civic organizations. As part of their duties, the Committee will define 4 themes and the general questions for 2 of those themes. There will be 45 mandatory debates, 21 for prefects, and 24 for mayors. <I like that the debates are mandatory. If voting is mandatory, then the candidates should also be required to show up and explain their positions to us.> The Committee will also participate in preparation of the broadcast schedule. The debates will be from el 12-25/11 in jurisdictions with more than 100,000 voters.

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 23/9) Inflación de Ecuador “es la más baja de la región” (Ecuador’s inflation “is the lowest in the region”) – The Ministerio de Desarrollo Económico y Productivo presented the statistics on inflation in the region which showed Ecuador has the lowest inflation rate in South America. <Eat your hearts out, Presidents Trump and Biden> According to the last official data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), the annual inflation rate in agosto, 2026 was 1.12%. This level puts Ecuador as one of the economies with the most stable prices in the region. <A good thing if you’re a retiree with a fixed income.> The Government affirmed that in the context of dollarization, this stability reduces uncertainty about costs, and facilitates financial planning for households and businesses, and generates better conditions for investment. <So go to that Real Estate Fair and buy yourself a condo.>