by Rebeca Mendoza | Jan 20, 2026 | Volume 10, Issue 11
Rising reservoir levels have paused blackouts, but Ecuador’s power supply remains tightly bound to rainfall and vulnerable to renewed dry conditions. For the past three months, the most watched number in Ecuador hasn’t been the football score or the inflation...
by Rebeca Mendoza | Jan 20, 2026 | Volume 10, Issue 11
The Bienal’s final days underscore how art, music, and shared spaces continue shaping Cuenca’s cultural identity. In a city preoccupied with crime statistics, blackouts, and crumbling infrastructure, art might seem like a frivolous luxury. But the XVII Bienal de...
by Rebeca Mendoza | Jan 20, 2026 | Volume 10, Issue 11
Heightened military deployments and new security protocols are reshaping travel between Cuenca and Guayaquil amid Ecuador’s escalating internal conflict. For the Cuenca expat community, the road to Guayaquil is a lifeline—it’s the route to the international airport,...
by Rebeca Mendoza | Jan 20, 2026 | Volume 10, Issue 11
Record migrant dollars sustain families while driving inflation, land speculation, and deep social costs across Ecuador’s southern highlands. Walk through the canton of Gualaceo or the town of Chordeleg, just 45 minutes from Cuenca. You will see three-story mansions...
by Rebeca Mendoza | Jan 20, 2026 | Volume 10, Issue 11
Targeted shootings and a 3D-gun operation reveal organized crime expanding into southern Ecuador’s once-quiet highland communities. For decades, Loja and its famous neighbor Vilcabamba were sold to the world as the ultimate sanctuaries. Vilcabamba, the “Valley of...
