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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...
One of Ecuador’s oldest oil fields will be productive for many more years than expected, according to new survey. The U.S. geological firm Ryder Scott has certified that 243 million barrels of oil remain in the ground at the Sacha production area in northern Orellana...
By Chris Estep Recently, American foreign policy priorities have been highly focused on the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. Between winding down the U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and navigating the tumult caused by the Arab Spring, President...
A fixture of Cuenca dining for almost a quarter century, Villa Rosa Restaurant on Gran Colombia serves its last meal Friday night. The owners say, however, that a new restaurant will reopoen in the same space. Over the years, Villa Rosa has been mainstay Cuenca’s...
The bodies of three men who apparently died from drinking adulterated liquor were discovered yesterday morning the community of Guazhalán, near Gualaceo. Friends and family of the men said they had been drinking the night before and were sitting around a campfire the...
Yesterday’s announcement about a new phase of reimbursements to members of Coopera brought a mixture of relief and anger. Ecuador’s Superintendency of Popular and Solidarity Economy (SEPS) announced at a news conference that account holders with deposits ranging from...
After a week of eruptions, the Tungurahua volcano has damaged thousands of hectares of crops, leaving a feed shortage for 110,000 head of livestock. The volcano erupted on Feb. 2, sending an ash plume about eight miles into the atmosphere, followed by two other...
Due to a lack of taxi meters in Guayaquil, the National Transit Agency (NTA) has extended the nationwide deadline for the installation of taxi meters until April 10. Previously, the NTA had set January 31 as the deadline. Although acknowledging the meter shortage, the...
The U.S. remains the favorite travel destination for Ecuadorians. According to a study by the National Institute of Statistics and Census, 34% of international plane trips out of Ecuador were to the U.S. Peru was second at 17%. One travel agent says price is a big...
The Superintendent of Market Control, Ecuador's markets watchdog, has fined the local subsidiary of Latin America's largest phone company, America Movil, $138.4 million for anti-competitive practices. America Movil operates under the name Claro in Ecuador. The...
By Ángel González Starbucks is ramping up plans to spread across Latin America, the region where it buys the majority of its coffee. First, however, it must deftly adapt itself to a different coffee tradition and one that still drinks more tea than coffee. Starbucks...
The U.S. State Deparrment dedicated its new consulate in Guayaquil on Friday. U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador Adam Namm presided over the ceremony. The new consulate is a multi-building complex situated on an 11.25-acre site in the San Eduardo neighborhood of Guayaquil....
While most of Ecuador’s taxis are in compliance with the new federal law requiring the use of meters, a delay in the adoption of a new fare schedule has delayed its implementation in Cuenca. Negotiations have been underway since July between the Cuenca Union of Taxi...
