The reconstruction of the Manta hospital and the construction of the Bahía de Caráquez hospital have been going on for more than two years, with continued delays. The one in Pedernales, which began in 2020, is 57% complete. The construction and reconstruction of hospitals in Manabí is a situation that has been ongoing since the […]

We had to buy a new car this week. Our 20-year-old Honda CR-V finally told us, “Enough is enough!” Understandable. We got a lot of kilometers out of it and treated it less than kind most of the time. It was less of a “passenger vehicle” and more of a “farm horse.” It has transported […]

The acquisition of the Basic Family Basket costs a Cuencan $30 more than in the rest of the country, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC). While the national average, as of December 2021, stood at $719.65, in the capital of Azuay it reached $749.46. Cuenca closed 2021 not only as […]

The 137 assembly members have been summoned to convene today, January 25th at 09:30, to debate the report that allows the interruption of pregnancy under conditions The National Assembly has been summoned to convene today to debate the report for the second and final time, of the project that guarantees the interruption of pregnancy due […]

The National COE updated the epidemiological risk traffic light in Ecuador and made several measures more flexible, due to the decrease in Covid-19 infections. Taking into account the incidence rate of the virus, lethality, contagion speed and vaccination, Ecuador has a new epidemiological risk classification, which went into force on Monday, January 24, and will […]

Suzanne Ward passed away this week. Most of you knew her, even if not by name. She ran, and was one of the owners of, Cuenca Consignments. She was the one with the purple hair. Or maybe you saw her when it was blue. Or maybe pink. Yeah, you knew her. She was an incredibly […]

Hours after the start of the chilling escalation of violence in Guayaquil, which included 18 murders in 24 hours, President Guillermo Lasso announced the measures he will take to try to stop this new crisis of violence. His first act was to except the resignation of Tannya Varela, who was the General Commander of the Police […]

Ecuador’s approach to relieve debt payments with China will include oil commitments, according to Francisco Briones, Deputy Secretary General of the Cabinet. The Government of Ecuador is working on the proposal that it will present to China to alleviate debt payments to that country that are concentrated in the next three years. Ecuador’s debt balance […]

Villegas was the fourth in the chain of command of the National Police. Last Thursday, through Executive Decree 318, President Guillermo Lasso terminated District General Marco Vinicio Villegas Ubillús from active service with the National Police “by voluntary request.” Villegas Ubillús was part of the police leadership that asked the Comptroller General of the State, the Superintendency of Banks and the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit […]

I’m so sick of the pandemic. I know, I know, I am not alone in this. But I’d like to think I’ve handled it pretty well. In fact, I’ve managed to survive it without getting Covid, even though I had to fly to the US for medical reasons four times this past year. That’s another […]

As of Friday, January 14, 2022, there is a new marine reserve in Galapagos. From Sierra Negra —one of the vessels for surveillance and control of the Galapagos National Park— tens of kilometers away from the Santa Cruz pier, President Guillermo Lasso signed the decree that formalizes the creation of the new reserve. It will be called the Hermandad […]

The forensic audit of the company, which initially headed for a voluntary closure, will not stop, says the Insurance Adjuster Sucre. The Seguros Sucre company, which for more than 10 years had the state monopoly in this segment, is in the process of forced liquidation. President Guillermo Lasso had decreed the voluntary liquidation of the […]

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso will make an official visit to China in February, coinciding with the Winter Olympics, where he will try to renegotiate the debt of more than $5 billion dollars and strengthen bilateral relations with that country. This was confirmed by the new Foreign Minister, Juan Carlos Holguín, in an interview upon his return […]

The Government of Guillermo Lasso budgeted bond placements in the international market for $1.2 billion during 2022. The Government plans to issue bonds in the international market to obtain financing in the first quarter of 2022, amid uncertain conditions. Although the Executive has not detailed the amount of this issuance, the General State Budget foresees […]

Social organizations have registered more than 1,000 femicides between 2014 and 2021. The Government plans to invest $13 million in actions to prevent gender violence. On the afternoon of April 7, 2021, Cristina M. was murdered by her partner Emilio P. in the Pelileo canton, in the Tungurahua province. Investigations by the Prosecutor’s Office determined […]

In the 1990s, academics and students saw the first “plastinated” human body, a preservation process that was created by the German physician Gunther von Hagens. Von Hagens originally designed plastination for use in the medical field, but in 1995, he introduced plastination to the masses with his first Body Worlds exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. The exhibition was met […]

This morning I read Robert Bradley’s column in Cuenca High Life about his moving on to another photo journalistic venture. Robert is a very popular columnist and I’m sure he is going to be missed by his readers. I’ve known Robert for several years, and while our writing styles are different, I respect him for […]

More than 200 prisoners were tortured on May 31, 2016  At half past eight in the morning on January 10, 2022, the Court of Criminal Guarantees of Cuenca set up for the second time, the trial hearing for the Turi case, a criminal proceeding for alleged torture against persons deprived of liberty in the Ecuadorian prisons. There are 42 […]

On Tuesday, the President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, said that a confinement for a possible increase in COVID-19 cases is “ruled out.” “Confinement is out of the question,” stressed the president, in a meeting with representatives of the media held in Carondelet Palace. He explained that Ecuador can afford “this luxury” because it is one […]