Posts:
By Ollie Williams The golden age of fat tax-free salaries and cushy overseas lifestyles has passed, killed by the coronavirus. Expats are no longer living the dream, they say, as many prepare to come home. A typical expat weekend in Dubai used to revolve around...
The Ministry of Health defended itself Thursday against charges that the number of Covid-19 tests administered in Ecuador lags behind other South American countries. The ministry says 318,000 tests have been given since the arrival of the pandemic in March,...
By John Williams As an expat, it takes a while to figure out what is “normal” in your new surroundings and culture. Everyone and everything is different, and some have a very hard time adjusting to the way things are in their new land. They are the ones who often end...
By Julio Musto An unexpectedly positive turn for Brazilian cities once plagued with the coronavirus pandemic is raising fresh questions about herd immunity. A new report in the Washington Post described how the impoverished city of Manaus saw hospitalizations plummet...
Facing angry reaction from some local officials and health experts, the government defended its decision Wednesday to end the national health emergency on September 12. "We are following the direction of the Constitutional Court and understand the need to restore the...
Colombia's government said on Monday it will resume the controversial practice of aerial spraying of coca plantations following a spike in gang-related violence. Colombia's is the world's biggest producer of cocaine, the raw material of which is coca leaves. It...
Four years ago, Edie and I were with another couple hiking deep in El Campo. I was handing out lollipops right and left to not only niños but mamás and papàs too. I wasn’t overlooking any abuelos I crossed paths with either. Everybody likes something sweet and when...
By Miriam Drake It’s not morbid, it’s practical! Have you told your loved ones how you want to be cared for at the end of your life? Are you content and peaceful inside with respect to all of your relationships? Have you told these folks everything you want them to...
By Ben Bartenstein The Trump administration is calling on the International Monetary Fund to proceed with a new loan program for Ecuador, paving the way for the nation to complete its debt accord with bondholders. The current deadline for Ecuador to restructure $17.4...
Julio César Mora and Waldramina Maclovia have been married for 79 years and Julio says he’s enjoyed almost every day of it. “There are a few days I would like to forget but there aren’t many,” he adds. In June, the couple was recognized by the Guinness Book of World...
The early curfews and restrictions on liquor sales imposed at the end of July will end Monday, the national Emergency Operations Committee decided on Tuesday. For Cuenca and other communities in yellow light health emergency status, the curfew returns to a 11 p.m. to...
By María Ramírez At first, the Spanish government was slow to respond to the coronavirus, and certainly underestimated the weak and risky position of the country — with its decentralized, underfunded health system, its aging population and its flows of international...
The number of deaths of retired members of the Social Security system (IESS) has more than doubled in 2020 since the same period in 2019. According to records released Saturday, 14,304 members died between January and July 2020 compared to 6,910 in 2019. Although some...
By Stuart Braun Back in 1970, the earth's biocapacity was more than enough to meet annual human demand for resources. But in the half century since, we have steadily outgrown our single planet. Humanity now consumes around 60% more than Earth can yield in a year,...
By David Agren While touring southern Chiapas state last month, Mexico’s coronavirus czar took aim at a vice he considers culpable for the country’s pandemic problems: rampant soda consumption. Health Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell tried to connect soda consumption...
The Cuenca Emergency Operations Committee decided Friday that it will not participate in a pilot project to allow person-to-person public and private school classes. The program is being pushed by the national government but the local COE says that current Covid-19...
Pending certification by the National Electoral Council (CNE) and a ten-day period in which parities may decide to consolidate tickets, voters could have as many as 18 presidential candidates to choose from in the February 2021 national election. The deadline for...
I was chatting with my friend, German Zhina, the other day. He’s a taxi driver, and all around, “What else can I do for you?” kind of guy who has chauffeured me on numerous occasions, fixed an electrical connection in my oil heater, programmed my cell phone, performed...
Ecuador voters will have plenty of choices for president in the February election. Sunday is the deadline for political parties to name their presidential and vice presidential candidates and 15 of the tickets have ready been identified. There are 23 parties certified...
A Quito doctor and infectious disease specialist disputes claims that most of the excess deaths recorded in Ecuador are from Covid-19 infections. Instead, he says that a majority of the deaths are the result of fear that keeps people sick with other health conditions...
