Posts:
Interior Minister John Reimberg says he is “outraged and disgusted” that some judges consistently release suspects arrested for violent crimes. “Some of these people are arrested again and again and certain members of the judiciary continue to allow them to go free,”...
The government is considering adding more questions to the referendum that would allow foreign military facilities in the country. Among the issues being considered for inclusion are measures that would increase penalties for violent crimes, tighten firearms controls...
By Jim Wyss Busy selling fruits and vegetables on a recent weekday, Luzmila Mita dug into her apron and pulled out a fistful of coins embossed with the image of a Native American woman with a baby strapped to her back. “I always thought she was one of us,” said Mita,...
By Jonathan Mason Tariffs are advertised as the iron shield protecting the local worker. In truth, they are an iron collar around his neck. Every government that imposes tariffs claims the same high-sounding motives: safeguarding national industries, preserving jobs,...
By Edward Helmore Political leaders love an empty statement or proclamation, but when Louisiana’s state house of representatives moved against “chemtrails” last week, they were literally seeking to combat something that does not exist. It was an act of political...
The Guagua Pichincha volcano, 12 kilometers west of Quito, is showing signs of reactivation. The Geophysical Institute reported Saturday that an eruption is not imminent, but that “general indicators” show increased activity in recent weeks and months. “The current...
The National Assembly on Saturday approved reforms backed by President Daniel Noboa to arm the government with new legal and economic powers to confront armed groups and dismantle the drug-trafficking networks that fuel their criminal enterprises. The bill was backed...
Colombian senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was shot in the head at a Bogotá campaign event late Saturday, in an attack that sent shockwaves through the country. The politician's condition was unclear on Sunday after being shot by a 15-year-old...
Corrupt government employees are major facilitators of illegal mining in Ecuador. This is one of the conclusions of a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “To effectively combat the rapid increase of illegal gold mining, the government must...
I’ve lived in Cuenca long enough to know that numbers — especially when it comes to expats — are more art than science. Depending on whom you ask, there are either 2,000 foreigners living here, or 12,000, or a million and two if you include the ones who only come out...
Banana giant Chiquita Brands has fired its workers in Panama who have been out on strike for more than three weeks as part of nationwide protests against reforms to the social security system, the company said Thursday. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino had said...
A pickup truck joy ride down the recently renovated Francisco Sojos Jaramillo escalinata by a drunken lawyer has sparked outrage from Cuenca officials. “This careless act will not be tolerated, and we intend to seek criminal charges against the driver and owner of the...
By Hallie Levine Most of us have experienced the burning sensation of heartburn at least occasionally, perhaps after eating a lot, eating too quickly or indulging in a spicy meal. Heartburn, which is caused by acid reflux — when stomach contents back up into your...
Six months after Flemish dredging company Jan De Nul planted mangroves on a man-made island off the Ecuadorian coast, the project is showing remarkable success. Scientific monitoring now confirms that over 30,000 mangrove trees are thriving, growing up to three times...
By Scott Levine More twists and turns than a drive through the Cajas! Usually when couples disagree, they slam a door, drop a few F-bombs, maybe toss a platter or two. But rarely does one party decide that the correct solution is … murder! In ACT’s newest production,...
Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito,” Ecuador’s most wanted man, continues to run his criminal organization from abroad with the help family members and close associates, according to state prosecutors. Following arrests Tuesday of six family members, prosecutors claim that...
National Court of Justice Judge Daniella Camacho has ordered former Citizens Revolution presidential candidate Andrés Arauz and two others to report periodically to the court in a case involving an alleged attempt by Correistas to take control of the Council of...
Peru announced Tuesday that miners who had been operating illegally in a large protected archaeological reserve around the famous Nazca Lines will now be able to start the process of obtaining mining permits, after the government reduced the protected area by 42%....
By Gavin Voss Massive operations by Ecuador’s military against illegal mining following a historic massacre will do little to slow one of the country’s most lucrative criminal economies. Ecuador has deployed 1,800 soldiers to the country’s Amazon region, the army...
The National Assembly on Tuesday voted to support President Daniel Noboa’s proposal to allow foreign military bases in Ecuador. The bases, which would be allowed for the purpose of combating transnational crime, must be approved in a national referendum since it...
