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US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has met with Mexico’s president, in an attempt to limit the surge of migrants reaching the US southwestern border. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has said he is willing to help, but he wants to see progress in US relations...
By Garnett Stewart For our new 2024, I propose a well-known poem known as "Desiderata." It was discovered on the wall of the Episcopal Church of my family in Baltimore, Maryland. Unsigned and dated 1692. My family's plantation was established on land that is now part...
Following criticism that the new government's plan to combat crime is short on details, Interior Minister Mónica Palencia is “filling in the blanks” in a series of interviews. “I agree we need to provide more information but we have been in office for only a month and...
Rains that fell over most of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday have refilled rivers and reservoirs but have also caused landslides and flooding. “There is always the bad side effects of heavy rain but, on balance, this is very good news since it brings drought...
By Constanza Lambertucci Summoned by trade unions and other organizations, thousands of people gathered in downtown Buenos Aires this Wednesday to demand the halt of far-right-wing President Javier Milei’s “necessary and urgent” decree to dismantle the Argentine...
Cuenca is the case that proves the point, says parttime expat and retired criminology professor Martin Simmons, referring to a recent article in the Washington Post that called the crime situation in Ecuador a “tale of two countries.” “The story quoted a United...
Former Vice President Jorge Glas has officially requested political asylum in Mexico after taking up residency at the Mexican embassy in Quito last week. The former vice president faces corruption charges for mismanagement of reconstruction funds in Manabí Province...
By Mark Travers Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without a smartphone? Some may envision a life of peace without distraction, whereas some may see a life with less convenience and connection. Others, however, may feel terrified of the idea entirely....
Although early revelations of the Attorney General's “Operation Metastasis” focused on the corruption of judges, police and prison officials, the evidence also shows the influence a powerful crime boss exerted in national and local governments. Phone and text...
By Paola Lopez A hunchback with goiter, a child decapitated by a soldier, and a woman with a bloodied face are among the unusual figures in an Ecuador nativity scene that aims to provide a realistic depiction of historical life. The vast creche belongs to the...
By Andrea Rodriguez The Cuban government said Friday it will have to either increase prices for fuel and electricity or reduce rations for basic supplies. President Miguel Díaz-Canel said such difficult measures were needed for difficult times, after the minister of...
By José María Irujo A court in New York has ruled that UC Global and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) violated the constitutional rights and privacy of U.S. citizens when they met with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador’s embassy in London. Four U.S....
During a Thursday visit to Cuenca, President Daniel Noboa announced that the city will host the 29th Ibero-American Summit in November 2024. According to Noboa, the city was chosen in part because of the interest of King Felipe VI of Spain, who has an ancestral...
By Aimee Robinson The British are huge fans of travel, with the latest data revealing that 5.5 million British people live permanently abroad. Some locations, however, are far more expensive than others and the drop in the value of the pound hits British expats...
The National Assembly on Thursday voted to modify constitutional language to authorize the Armed Forces to assist police in some law enforcement functions. According to Assembly leadership, the vote is a temporary measure contingent on passage of a national referendum...
For the first time since development began, the El Niño weather system in the Pacific Ocean is showing signs of weakening, according to the director of Ecuador’s Naval Oceanography and Meteorology Institute (Inocar). “In recent weeks, there has been a shift in the...
By Garnett Stewart Are you feeling sad? At this time of year, there are a lot of SAD people! What I am talking about, of course, is Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly referred to by its initials, S.A.D., and several of my acquaintances tell me that they suffer from...
Editor’s note: Garry Vatcher is the founder and director of Hogar Esperanza, a Cuenca-based charity dedicated to providing services and support to Ecuadorians and migrants who need assistance. Their services include medical support, disaster relief and financial...
Miércoles, 20/12/2023 Hola, Todos - This will be my last post for the year. <I was very tempted to put the period after "post," but my sense of obligation won out. One of these days I'm going to say s***w it or die on you, and hopefully you will have learned enough...
By Jeremiah Reardon Dedicated to my sister Alima Dolores Reardon, September 1948-November 2023. Birds dart past me as I stand on my terrace in Cuenca. The early morning’s air and sunlight had energized them. Perched upon our building’s rain gutter, a small pair...
