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Everyone in the world wants to know the same thing about Cuenca, but few can answer it clearly: what is the standard of living really like? Not the tourist version, not the realtor’s pitch, but the daily reality for ordinary people and how it feels to buy groceries,...
The U.S. Mint on Wednesday ended production of the penny after 232 years, a change made to save money and because the 1-cent coin that could once buy a snack or a piece of candy had become increasingly irrelevant. The last pennies were struck at the mint in...
You've seen the advertisements online: a full, permanent new smile with All-on-4 implants for $4,000, $5,000, or even less. When US dentists are quoting you $20,000 or more for the same procedure , that international offer isn't just tempting—it feels like a lifeline....
Some security experts, including former prison directors, say the transfer of 300 inmates to the new high-security prison in Santa Elena Province is part of a government public relations campaign. “This is a publicity stunt and is clearly intended to influence voters...
Referendum - ¿Sirve reducir asambleístas? (Is it useful to reduce the number of assembly members?) - Question C on the Referendum proposes to reduce the number of legislators in the Asamblea Nacional from 151 to 73. The 73 would be composed of 10 national...
By Andrew Hazzard Business bustled on a sunny fall afternoon at Miriam’s cevichochos food stand on a northeast Minneapolis streetcorner. About a dozen customers bought a bowl, squeezing fresh lime and dusting aji chili powder and salt over the dish. Cevichochos, a...
Russia is “ready” to help Venezuela as the U.S. beefs up its military presence near the South American nation, Russia’s foreign minister said. Caracas and Moscow signed a strategic partnership in May. The Kremlin is “ready to fully act within the framework of the...
For the prospective North American expat, researching Ecuador's healthcare system can feel like an exercise in contradictions. On one hand, you’ll see international rankings that are, frankly, mediocre. The 2025 CEOWorld Health Care Index, for instance, places Ecuador...
Referendum - Financiamiento político, al debate (Political financing, up for debate) - The political organizations that meet the requirements established in the Código de la Democracia have the right to receive a part of the Fondo Partidario Permanente (Permanent...
By Laura Paddison Off Brazil’s northeastern coast, where the sediment-heavy water of the vast Amazon River tips out into the Atlantic, are two very different types of treasure. The first is an ecological gem: a 3,600 square-mile deepwater coral reef discovered less...
I spent part of my working life in Florida’s correctional world. Not as a guard and not as an inmate, but somewhere in between, in health-care administration. My job was to keep people alive, at least to make the paperwork look like we were trying to be professional,...
It's one of the most common questions for a reason. When a US dentist quotes you $20,000, $30,000, or even $50,000 for a single arch of All-on-4 dental implants , the search for a more affordable solution isn't just a casual inquiry—it's a necessity. So, to answer...
President Daniel Noboa announced Monday that the transfer of 300 high risk prisoners to the new maximum security Encuentro Prison in Santa Elena Province is underway. The new high-tech facility, based on the design of prisons in El Salvador, is intended to separate...
Curious? - (lunes, 10/11)* Ecuador vota el regreso de las bases extranjeras (Ecuador votes on the return of foreign military bases) - This is the first of a series of articles from El Mercurio that analyzes the questions in the Referéndum and Consulta Popular 2025....
By Bob Carlson Retirement outside the U.S. is more appealing and less adventurous than it used to be. That might be why the number of Americans retiring outside the U.S. increased substantially over the last 10 years. The Social Security Administration says it sends...
Rodrigo Paz, a pro-business conservative, took office Saturday as Bolivia's president, ending nearly 20 years of socialist rule and inheriting acute economic woes. Paz, the 58-year-old son of a former president, drew applause at the swearing-in ceremony at the...
For millions of Americans and Canadians, the state of dental care at home has become a quiet crisis of affordability. It’s a frustrating paradox: the procedures to restore health and confidence have never been more advanced, yet they have simultaneously drifted out of...
The Ministries of Transportation and Tourism announced Sunday that final approval has been granted for flights between Cuenca and the Galapagos Islands. Latam Airlines will operate the twice-weekly flights that could begin by the end of the year. Transportation...
Something special happens when you walk through a Latin American neighborhood in the morning. The bakery is already open. People greet each other by name. The pace is unhurried. There’s time for a smile, a short chat, a real connection. In a world that feels faster,...
Opposite Feria Libre, squeezed between a pharmacy and a scanner joint, I found a dingy doorway that didn’t look like the path to dental salvation, although a small sign that mentioned family dentistry gave away the game. But up two flights of concrete stairs it opened...
