Posts:
By Wendy Jane Carrel I first met Sor (Sister) Patricia of the Hermanitas de la Caridad (Sisters of Charity) four years ago. I was conducting site visits of Ecuadorian assisted living homes. She was (and still is) the “coordinadora” in charge of 64 older adults –...
Although chikungunya is seldom fatal, it has been called the most painful disease in the world. “During the worst of it, it is excruciating,” says retired U.S. epidemiologist Ron Marshall. “Almost everyone who has been infected will tell you it’s the most painful...
The Cuenca Holistic Health Network presents its second Holistic Health Expo Thursday, May 14 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Cuenca Chamber Of Commerce. In addition to 30 local exhibitors, the Expo features five participatory workshops: First Aid Kit Featuring Young...
Ecuador’s Yachay Technical University, the centerpiece of President Rafael Correa’s plan to build a “university system for the 21st century,” celebrated its first anniversary last week. Yachay, located in Imbabura Province, north of Quito, opened its doors in 2014...
Por David Morrill Rafael Correa es megalomaníaco, hablador, controlador, fanático religioso, creador de un estado sobreprotegido, limitador de la libertad de expresión y dueño de las cortes supremas. Por lo tanto, es intolerante, ofensivo, insensible, paranoico,...
Rafael Correa is a megalomaniac, a loud-mouth, a control freak, a religious fanatic, the architect of a nanny state, a muzzler of free speech, and a court-packer. He is, by turns, intolerant, insulting, insensitive, paranoid, condescending and thin-skinned. He is also...
Two years ago, the developers of a condominium project on Av. Ordoñez Lasso told real estate agents representing North American clients that they did not want their business. The reason? Gringos complained too much and sought legal remedies without trying to work out...
In the wake of the elimination of the government’s 40% contribution to the Social Security (IESS) program, the IESS board of directors has order restrictions on purchases, travel and hiring. Especially hard-hit is the IESS health care system. The board ordered a...
President Rafael Correa is back in the international news again but you’ll need to check the “weird news” column to find out the latest. As the story goes, the presidential motorcade was traveling through Quito’s historic district last Friday, when a 16-year-old...
By William D. Delahunt The Ecuadorian people have endured much over the last three decades – lurches between failed governments, irresponsible international companies eschewing their investment commitments, horrific oil pollution poisoning their environment, and a...
An end-of-life planning discussion at the Cuenca Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday drew a crowd of 250 English-speaking expats. They had plenty of questions. Senior care expert Wendy Jane Carrel moderated a panel discussion with Cuenca attorney Grace Velastegui and...
Although no Ecuadorian bank has closed the accounts of U.S. expats to avoid new IRS reporting requirements, they have added tougher rules for opening and maintaining accounts. Almost all banks require that foreigners opening a checking or savings account be legal...
For years, illegal DVDs and CDs have been mainstays of the entertainment diet for Ecuador residents, both locals and expats. For $1 to $1.50, they can buy the latest movies, sometimes before they are released in U.S. and European theaters. They can buy CDs of their...
Ecuador President Rafael Correa ranks third in the world in Twitter use by presidents and prime ministers according to a survey by the U.S. public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. Correa trails only Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Prime Minister Erna Solberg of...
An increase in bus fare is long overdue says the president of an organization representing Cuenca bus owners. “Cuenca needs to decide what quality of public transportation service it wants,” says Wilmer Bravo, President of the Cuenca Cámara de Transporte. “If it wants...
By Wendy Jane Carrel Cuenca, aside from being a UNESCO Heritage Site with beautiful colonial buildings and a unique history, offers unexpected and pleasant surprises if you’ve lived here a while. What you’ve probably read or know is that this is a city of 600,000...
Two May Day marches attract thousands in Cuenca Although Friday’s two May Day marches and rallies were touted as a pro- vs. anti-Correa contest, it was often hard to tell the difference in the two sides, as members of both camps mixed with members of the other camp....
By Ariana Chomitz In my last post, I wrote on the side of large corporations, encouraging forgiveness for well-intentioned but tone-deaf actions on the part of social good. That’s because Starbucks is a bastion of justice and equality when compared to deeply...
Ecuador joins Argentina, Chile and Venezuela among South American countries on the latest U.S. “black list” for alleged intellectual property rights violations. Ecuador’s blacklisting is a downgrade from last year’s classification as being “under observation.”...
By Wendy Jane Carrel FASEC (Fundacion al Servicio del Enfermo de Cancer/Foundation Serving Those Ill with Cancer), together with Care Partners International of Washington state, and the University of San Francisco, Quito, hosted a palliative care training session in...
