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China and Brazil have started work to open an $18.5 billion corridor linking railways to ports in Brazil and Peru, shortening the transport route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. According to its developers, Brazilian state-owned Infra SA railway and China...
There are two kinds of conversations you can have with an AI about current affairs. One is reassuring, efficient, and faintly impressive, all things considered, but the other feels like arguing with a well-read amnesiac with brain damage who has access to the...
To follow the news about Ecuador from abroad is to experience a masterclass in cognitive dissonance. One headline blares, "State of Emergency Declared as Violence Surges." The next, often on the same day, glows, "World's Best Retirement Haven Offers Unbeatable Quality...
Storage rooms at Ecuador’s two international airports, in Quito and Guayaquil, overflow with merchandise confiscated by customs agents from international travelers. Most of it is clothing, small electronics, cosmetics and liquor, that Ecuadorians bring back from the...
By Carolina Mella The military patrol tasked with guarding the mega-prison known as Encuentro — one of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s most ambitious projects in the coastal province of Santa Elena — skidded along the dusty road. At least six soldiers and police...
When it comes to replacing missing teeth, "most affordable" can mean two different things: the cheapest option today, or the option that costs the least over your lifetime. Let's break down the options from "most affordable" (cheapest upfront) to "best value"...
President Daniel Noboa’s popularity continues to decline, according to a survey by Consultora Opinion Publica. In its December poll of 10 South American presidents, Noboa ranked seventh, with a positive rating of 39.4%, down 3.1% from the November poll. Following his...
Editor’s note: Ever wonder what Cuenca was like a 112 years ago? The following is an excerpt from "Vagabonding Down the Andes" by Harry A. Franck. Published in 1917, the book is a travelogue of the author’s 1912-1913 journey, mostly by foot, from Panama to Buenos...
In my recent column about IVA refunds as they relate to expatriate retirees, I knew perfectly well that the comments section would not be a place of tame consensus. Topics that mix money, morality, and Ecuador have a reliable way of flushing out worldviews, and this...
In January 2024, Ecuador was thrust into the international spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The headlines were terrifying. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, the notorious gang leader known as "Fito," vanished from his prison cell. In what was clearly a coordinated and...
By Sylvan Hardy A crowd of 100,000 will line the streets and crowd the balconies of Calle Simon Bolivar today to watch Cuenca’s Christmas Eve parade, the Pase del Niño, or the Passing of the Child. In addition to onlookers, the event will feature 30,000 participants,...
Spend enough time in cafés around Cuenca and a quiet pattern starts to appear. It does not announce itself or come with rules or signs. Instead, it unfolds through habit, comfort, and time. This is what many expats slowly recognize as the café divide in Cuenca. At...
By Pedro Camacho The United States confirmed on Wednesday the temporary deployment of Air Force personnel to the Ecuadorian coastal city of Manta as part of a joint operation with Ecuador's military aimed at combating what Washington describes as narco-terrorism in...
The "best" country for dental work depends entirely on what you need. The world of dental tourism is highly specialized, with different countries building reputations for different types of care. Before you book a flight, it's essential to understand the financial...
An Ecuadorian court on Monday sentenced eleven soldiers to 34 years and eight months in prison for the forced disappearance of four boys who were illegally detained in December 2024 in Guayaquil. The boys' bullet-riddled bodies were found burned a week later. Five...
The President of Ecuador's Judicial Council, Mario Godoy, has been summoned to appear before the National Assembly by the end of the year. The summons follows the release of audio tapes in which the head of the Pichincha judicial office is heard pressuring another...
As yet another year comes to an end on planet Earth, there are mornings when I sit with a cup of Tuti instant coffee or yerba mate and try to make sense of the IRS's rules for retirement. It’s like reading hieroglyphics written by accountants. The older I get, the...
It is the first question every prospective expat asks, and, more pointedly, the first one their concerned family members ask: "But is Ecuador safe?" This question is almost always followed by a link to an alarming headline. And in 2024 and 2025, those headlines have...
The new variant, called A/H3N2 K, which was first identified in Australia and New Zealand in August, has now been detected in over 30 countries. “Current epidemiological data do not indicate a major increase in disease severity, although this genetic shift marks a...
The Health Ministry reports Ecuador’s first case of the new flu variant A(H3N2) K, also known as the “super flu.” A ministry spokesman said the case was identified in a “southern province” but did not specify the exact location. The ministry said it expects the case...
