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If smuggling cocaine onto an airplane sounds dicey, then imagine navigating 2,000 miles on the open sea in a homemade submarine with half a ton of the white stuff and no oxygen tanks. This 30-foot fiberglass sub can dive just 15 feet and stay under for a maximum of 15...
By David Hill The Ecuadorian government was negotiating a secret $1billion deal with a Chinese bank to drill for oil under the Yasuni national park in the Amazon while pursuing a high-profile scheme to keep the oil under the ground in return for international...
Following last week’s election defeat for President Rafael Correa’s PAIS party in the country’s largest cities, talk of changing the consitition to allow Correa to seek a third term has resurfaced. The subject came up a year ago, following the 2013, election but was...
Cuenca Mayor Paúl Granda said he is in touch with Mayor-elect Marcerlo Cabrera and will make sure the transfer of power between the two administrations goes smoothly. Granda said he would provide information to Cabrera regarding several projects that the incoming...
It was noisy and it was slimy last night in Parque Calderon as two to three thousand Cuencanos, tourists and expats gathered for the kick-off of Carnival. The crowd was treated to fireworks, music, dances and foam fights. Four pyrotechnic castles were ignited,...
By Yuri Garcia Ecuador's President Rafael Correa on Tuesday said he will ask for his cabinet's resignation and reshape his political party after losses in mayoral races in the country's major cities. Opposition candidates on Sunday won elections to run the local...
Following the euphoria of Sunday’s victory, Cuenca mayor-elect Marcelo Cabrera faced political reality on Monday. Unlike out-going mayor, Paúl Granda, Cabrera will not have majority support on the cantonal council. Although the final recount of the vote continues, it...
Although political insiders knew that Sunday’s elections could be a slap in President Rafael Correa’s face, few expected it to also be a hard kick in the rump. The election results in local and provincial elections saw Correa’s PAIS party’s mayoral candidates go down...
By José de Córdoba From Mexico to Brazil, most Latin American governments have remained impassive as the Venezuelan government violently cracks down on growing protests, arrests opposition leaders and censors most of the country's media. Ideological affinity with...
A group of 30 locals, taking heed of global interest in Bitcoin, met in Ecuador's capital to discuss the future of digital currencies in the region. Ecuador lags far behind the financial innovations of developed countries. According to Paul Buitink, one of the...
Nineteen percent of Ecuador’s companies, or about 134,000, are located in Quito according to the National Business Directory prepared by Ecuador's National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). The directory shows that there are 704 556 companies in the country....
Venezuela ranks first in the number of car accident fatalities among Latin American countries while Ecuador ranks sixth, according to a new study by the University of Michigan. The study shows that Venezuela has 35 fatalities from road crashes per 100,000 population,...
The “quiet” period preceding Sunday’s local elections went into effect at midnight with a potential conflict brewing between President Rafael Correa and Ecuador's election commission. All campaigning and news coverage of the campaign is prohibited during the 48 hours...
Taking on a furious, often acrimonious tone, Ecuador’s campaign for local offices ends today at midnight. National law mandates a 48-hour quiet period before Sunday’s voting. For the record, this will be the 23rd election in Ecuador’s modern democratic period, which...
Poverty and hunger will sadly always be with us. But in today's age of abundant calories, the poor may also be obese – something governments in Latin America are waking up to. These countries are fighting junk food directly with a slew of initiatives that are making...
The campaign for city and provincial offices is reaching a fevered pitch leading up to Sunday’s election and, even though he is not running for office, the stakes are high for President Rafael Correa. Under Ecuadorian law, all campaigning must end at midnight on...
By Nick Miroff An oil pipeline runs through this village to a Chinese rig at the end of the road. At night, when the rig is pumping, the pipeline is too hot to touch, but villagers say that in the morning, it’s a good place to dry laundry. That is its only apparent...
By Narayan Ammachchi Latin American economies have successfully wriggled out of their troubles and the gulf between rich and poor is narrowing by the day, according to the research institute of the Swiss banker Credit Suisse. The manufacturing and services sectors are...
Cuenca's new tram system, Travia de los Cuatro Rios, is off to a good start according to Patricia Cordero, project director. Power and light poles as well as billboards and utility wires have been relocated on Av. Las Americas between Calle Juan Ruiz and Av. Don...
The Catholic church and city of Cuenca are looking to Cuencanos living in the U.S. and Canada to provide financial help to repair the cathedral roof. An October study by the University of Cuenca engineering department estimated that $800,000 is needed to repair the...
