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Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera has extended the emergency declaration allowing the city to continue project management of tranvía construction. Cabrera said that work during the 60-day extension will move beyond the city's historic district, to other areas of the tram...
The wildfires that threatened Cuenca’s water shed are out, doused by more than a hundred firefighters, helicopter bambi bucket drops, and timely evening showers, but the damage to native vegetation is severe, authorities say. Although the fires did not enter the...
There’s a lot more that expats need to learn when they move to Ecuador than the language. Take, for example, etiquette. My Cuencana friend Eloisa has some helpful advice for gringos when they interact socially with Ecuadorians. She also helps her Ecuadorian friends...
By Cathy McKay OK, I’m here! I’m living in Ecuador! I must say I would have never thought I would be retiring abroad, especially as a single woman. But here I am and what a journey it has been. And after four months it just continues to surprise and challenge me...
The parliament of the European Union approved the trade agreement reached in October by negotiators for Ecuador and the European Union (EU). The vote was 544 for, 144 opposed with 44 abstentions. The vote was assured Tuesday afternoon following resolution of a...
By Antonio De la Jara and Rosalba O'Brien A "unique" burst of activity at a little-known volcanic complex near the Chile-Argentina border has attracted the interest of international scientists and led worried governments to plan for a potentially devastating eruption....
Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera declared a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon as a fast-moving wild fire in the Cajas Mountains threatened the city's water shed. The fire, which has so far consumed about 150 hectares in the Mazán Alto and Zorrocucho sectors of the...
By Franco Ordoñez President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security has warned that terrorists could use human smuggling routes to bring weapons of mass destruction into the United States. It’s just one of the alarm bells retired Marine...
Hola, Todos - Pagina cultural - Today's agenda events - Recitales navideños (Christmas recitals) - The Department of Arts at the U. of Cuenca will perform on the 13, 15, 20/12. For more info., go to www.ucuenca.edu.ec. (It's in Spanish but use your translate...
By Ramiro Crespo Ecuadorian governments like to wait for the end-of-year holiday season to push through unpopular measures. Holidays in November and, in particular, December – Quito’s week-long official foundation celebrations culminating December 6 as well as...
Nine earthquakes, ranging up to 5.2 in magnitude, caused minor property damage and forced schools to close Monday in Esmerladas Province. The quakes were centered just offshore from the tourist resort of at a depth of 2.3 miles. Local authorities say no injuries have...
Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera says he will probably order an extension of the emergency declaration that allows the city to assume project management of the tram project from CCRC, the Spanish consortium contracted to manage construction. The original 60-day...
Hola, Todos - Pagina cultural - Upcoming agenda event - Premio Mariano Aguilera - The new call for the Mariano Aguilera Prize, one of the most prestigious in the plastic arts, will be this martes at 11:00 in the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo in Quito. Articles about -...
Work began last week on the ambitious Parque de La Libertad project in the Bellavista neighborhood on the northern edge of Cuenca’s historic district. The park will encompass almost one and a half hectares (about three and a half acres) and provide the largest public...
Presidential candidates Guillermo Lasso and Cynthia Viteri say they will abolish President Rafael Correa's proposed real estate capital gains tax on "estraordinary" profits if they are elected. The proposal is currently being debated in the National Assembly. Both...
Hola, Todos - I'm going to take a few days off next week from martes through viernes to catch up on personal stuff. Pagina cultural - Today's (Fri.) agenda event - Teatro - The acting group Teatro pie presented "La Ultima Función" (The Last Function - it's about the...
By Carlos Ruiz No one is really prepared for an emergency until they’ve had to live through one. And the 16 April earthquake in Ecuador put us to the test. With the drawdown in the humanitarian response phase that is providing relief to survivors and victims, the...
Ecuador could see a repeat of large-scale anti-tax protests that brought Quito and Guayaquil to a standstill 18 months ago. Those protests forced the government to withdraw legislation that would have increased capital gains and inheritance taxes. President Rafael...
Editor's note: Please read Jeanne's policy statement at the bottom of today's post about her translation of El Mercurio for the expat community. She also explains why she does not respond to comments and emails. Fyi, Jeanne spends two to three hours a day to produce...
An Ecuadorian project that assists blind people has taken first place in the "Idea to change history" competition sponsored by History Channel-Latin America. Fabricio Reyes, Diego Aguinsaca, Álex Aldaz and Carlos Canacuán, students at the Military Polytechnic School...
