Posts:
Curious - (De El Mercurio del lunes, 26/2) Jezdimir Srdan compró casas, vehículos y otros bienes en Cuenca (Jezdimir Srdan bought houses, vehicles and other goods in Cuenca) - Imprisoned Serbian drug lord Jezdimir Srdan was a frequent visitor to Cuenca, owning at...
One of the small advantages of riding in the front seat of a Cuenca taxi, apart from the superior view of traffic misdemeanors and roadside drama, is that the dashboard functions as an unexpectedly reliable indicator of financial evolution. Permits, guardian saints,...
By Chris Hedges During the war in Bosnia, I worked my way through the seven volumes of Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time.” The novel, populated with 400 characters, was not an escape from the war. The specter of death and the expiring world of La Belle...
Inmates of an entire wing of Litoral Prison in Guayaquil have been transferred to another prison north of the city as a result of high rates of tuberculosis, malnutrition and death. In total, the national prison authority said that 496 prisoners were relocated....
By José Luis Sampietro The dispute currently pitting Ecuador against Colombia, framed as a trade war, is in fact a symptom of something more delicate: it could mark the beginning of the collapse of the practical cooperation needed to govern a border and a regional...
By Eva Cahill For the first time in 180 years, giant tortoises are once again roaming the Galápagos, as 158 were released in Floreana Island this month – which conservationists say will strengthen the island’s land-sea ecosystems. The Floreana juvenile giant tortoises...
The Social Security health care system announced Tuesday that consultations with doctors will be limited to 10 and 20 minutes, depending on medical circumstances. IESS management says the change will allow doctors to see more patients and reduce wait times for...
There is a particular kind of sentence that should cause an adult to sit up straighter, reach for a pencil, and perhaps check that their wallet is still where they left it, and it almost always contains the word “guaranteed”. The Guardian recently ran a sobering piece...
By Shreyas Sen How do headphones, toys, gadgets and other devices talk to each other without any wires? Many of them connect with Bluetooth. It’s a technology that allows different devices to communicate wirelessly. Think of it as a device’s voice that it uses to...
By Sarah Birke Nicaragua is sometimes called the “tropical North Korea”. Even by the standards of Latin American autocracies, it feels tense in Managua, the capital. Any political talk is hushed for fear that informers may be hovering. Television stations spout...
The failure of Cuenca-based CREA in July 2025 served as a wake-up call for Ecuador's largest financial cooperatives, banking experts say. "It was a reminder that the traditional rules of good financial management still apply and that strong balance sheets are...
Bored? - (De El Mercurio del lunes, 23/2) Con teatro apoyan a casa de acogida (Theater supports shelter) - The play 'SIETE' returns to the stage in Cuenca after 11 years. This marks Diana Moscoso's return to the stage after 25 years. The play brings together real...
This does not happen only in Cuenca. It shows up wherever expats stay long enough for daily life to become normal. After the city stops being a stage and days stop organizing themselves, many expats lean more heavily on familiar routines. They return to the same...
By Emily Oster February is the month things go south in our exercise routines. The excitement of New Year’s resolutions fades and the dark and cold keep us in bed, rather than on the treadmill. This is a shame, because regular exercise is really beneficial. It can...
More than a dozen organizations and individuals say they are preparing legal action against a new law placing controls on how local governments spend they money. Introduced by President Daniel Noboa, the Law on Sustainability and Efficiency of Expenditure of...
There are many kinds of religion, and not all of them involve a deity, a pulpit, or the smell of furniture polish on wooden pews. Some arrive through a transistor radio held to the ear beneath bedclothes, some through a jukebox glowing in the corner of a youth club,...
By Matthew Connelly Science fiction has long depicted a future in which artificial intelligence (AI) becomes so strong, it overpowers humanity. In fact, the battle between bots and brains has already begun, and educators can see how it might end. Young people are...
Violent clashes erupted in parts of western Mexico on Sunday amid a military operation that led to the death of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader, triggering widespread security concerns throughout the region. Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Rubén...
A law passed Friday by the National Assembly requiring municipal and provincial governments to spend 70% of their funding on infrastructure and investment is being sharply criticized by local leaders. Mayors from the country’s largest cities say the law is illegal and...
Bored? - (De El Mercurio del jueves, 19/2) 30 esculturas Cuy Kuna en Parque El Ferrocarril (30 Cuy Kuna sculptures in Railroad Park) - The 30 sculptures from the call for proposals for Cuy Kuna are being shown at the Parque El Ferrocarril. The pieces show different...
