Like almost every other country in the world, deaths or injuries due to traffic accidents in Ecuador are caused by a variety of different factors, such as chance events, mechanical failures, disrespect for traffic signals or lack of competence of the driver. But studies have shown that the use seat belts reduce the chance of […]

The Council of the judiciary has announced that starting on January 15, along with the increase in the basic salary, the values of the Single System of Alimentación Pensions (SUPA) will be increased as well.  SUPA alimentation (food) payments are similar to child support payments made in North America (with the exception that they are […]

Cuenca’s efforts in the management of water quality, sewage, solid waste and green areas where among the reasons is was accredited as Ecuador’s first “Healthy City.  This past week, Mayor Marcelo Cabrera received a certificate of accreditation from Carlos Durán, Ecuador’s Vice Minister of Health. According to María José Vázquez, director of the Cantonal Health […]

The Jupiter Park, located in the Huayna Capac parish, was inaugurated on Saturday, December 22, in the “Phase II Recovered Parks” program being carried out by the Municipality of Cuenca through the Municipal Public Cleanliness Company of Cuenca. According to an official statement, this work was completed with a budget of $130,000, and complied with […]

This year my niece’s husband missed Thanksgiving dinner with his wife and new 4-week old son, because a serious threat to U.S. National security reared its ugly head.  You see, he’s an Army pilot.  After serving two tours in Iraq as a helicopter crew chief, he was able to re-enlist straight into Officer’s Candidate school […]

Rami Ridam left his native country, Syria, at age 17, fleeing civil war, poverty, and bombings. “When I was a child, I saw my family and neighbors die in front of my eyes. I still think it was a dream, “says Ridam. Nine years later, he left Venezuela due to the high level of insecurity […]

The Cuenca Dispatch and CuencaHighLife are pleased to announce the winner and runners-up in our first annual Christmas Photo Contest. First prize goes to Evelyn Johnson and the two runner-up prizes both go to Mary Kelly. Our picks were made from dozens of entries and all three of them are of children, which seems appropriate […]

In the diet world, a new buzzword is emerging: lectins. Have you heard of lectins? Ten years ago, you probably hadn’t heard of gluten, either. Going “lectin-free” is primed to become the next big thing in dieting, but this diet seems more fad than fact. Lectins are a type of protein found in many foods […]

Ecuador has made significant progress in “re-establishing” a political climate that supports human rights, according to the international non-profit group Human Rights Watch (HRW). During the administration of former president Rafael Correa, HRW had criticized government policies it claimed stifled dissent and restricted freedom of expression. “We are pleased to see the progress made by […]

The international police agency Interpol has rejected an Ecuadorian court request that it issue an international arrest warrant for former president Rafael Correa. Correa is under investigation in Ecuador for the alleged kidnapping of an opposition politician. Interpol notified Ecuador’s Court of Justice of its decision Wednesday morning saying that it could not justify a […]

Ecuador voted with other Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Friday to reduce oil production. OPEC members and 10 oil-producing allies, including Russia, agreed to a 1.2 million barrel-per-day reduction in hopes of stabilizing the oil market. Oil prices have dropped by 30 percent in recent weeks but have rebounded somewhat since Tuesday. Following OPEC’s […]

Daniel Avila arrived at the bus station early. His entire family joined him, but only as far as the station. He held the only tickets that would allow him to travel to Ecuador via the Venezuela/ Colombia highway. Hours later, when his bus arrived at the Colombia border, he joined his fellow travelers in walking […]

I am constructing a warm and secure shelter composed of infinite wonder and shaped by the intricate carpentry of language. It is deeply rewarding. I love sharing with you my hammering away, or more often, quietly sanding burrs smooth and crafting the beams to support my dreams. Oftentimes, I will take long walks photographing Cuenca, seeking […]

In my former life, I travelled the world for work.  A lot.  And I got to taste a lot of amazing foods prepared by a lot of amazing chefs.  With the freshest and best ingredients.  So I like to consider myself a foodie.  Someone who enjoys food for pleasure. That does not mean though that […]

Señora Cecelia Toral Vasques, seventy-two years into her Cuenca life of privilege and tragedy, reigns in her forty-two-room family home surrounded by the story of her life. On Calle Larga, just across the street from Calle Luis Cordero, is a splendid patrimonial house still in private hands. You enter the door under the sign that […]

Addressing Ecuador’s National Assembly following his confirmation, Ecuador’s new vice president acknowledged that his name is hard to pronounce for Spanish-speakers. “My suggestion is that you just call me Otto,” 35-year-old Otto Sonnenholzner told the assembly Tuesday. Sonnenholzner, whose heritage is German and Lebanese as well as Ecuadorian, was confirmed overwhelmingly in the assembly, supported […]

Quick! Don’t think about it, just answer. What is the very first item you should read on the Nutrition Facts label? If you said calories, you’re wrong. Fat grams? Nope. Carbohydrates? Wrong again. The most important piece of information on the Nutrition Facts label is the serving size. Know that, and you know everything you […]

In some New York neighborhoods, wearing yellow and black with a golden crown symbol can get you killed. But in Quito, Ecuador, clothing representing the Latin Kings is no cause for concern, nor does it peg you as a criminal. The Latin Kings are one of several gangs that will celebrate their 11th anniversary as […]

We had eaten ramen at this place in the past (It was great, in huge bowls at a very reasonable price), and decided to try out their sushi with a couple of our friends. What a wonderful treat it was! Osaka Ramen is located across the street from the San Sebastian church at Coronel Talbot […]

On November 7, Mayor Marcelo Cabrero inaugurated the Patrimonial House Palacios Abad Therapeutic Center to provide care for people with disabilities.  The property, located on located on Av. 3 de Noviembre near Plaza del Otorongo,  was recently renovated. According to Cabrera, the new center is one of two patrimonial houses restored this year, amounting to […]

The editors of CuencaHighLife and Cuenca Dispatch cordially invite you tto join our first photography contest and exhibit, Christmas in Cuenca. Please submit up to four of your personal photos expressing the holiday season — black and white or color — to robert@cuencahighlife.com before December 15. The editorial and photographic staff will choose honorable mentions […]

Ecuador’s Vice President Maria Vicuña announced her resignation on Tuesday, one day after President Lenin Moreno relieved her of duties amid an investigation into payments she received as a legislator years ago. Vicuna’s resignation was the second time a vice president left since Moreno took office in May 2017. Moreno on Monday assigned Secretary General […]

The Cuenca Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet of Ecuador, the Polyphonic Choir of the University of Azuay and the Youth Choir of the José María Rodríguez Superior Conservatory joined forces recently to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Cuenca’s most famous poet and essayist César Dávila Andrade (1918 – 1967). The combined musical […]

As a five-car unit of Cuenca’s Tranvía de los 4 Rios de Cuenca rolled through the historic district Tuesday, hundreds of bystanders gathered along the train tracks to watch and snap photos. The tram, which traveled from the train yard on Av. Mexico to the industrial park in the northeast, made several runs back and […]

A flurry of news stories on Tuesday suggest Ecuador may play a role in the investigation by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Three news sources, including financial tv network CNBC, claim that Mueller is investigating a 2017 meeting in Quito involving former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul […]

It covers 280 square meters (3014 square feet) and has 1,400 pieces, 600 of them in motion. According to its owner, the Catholic Archdiocese of Loja, it is the largest Christ-child nativity scene in Latin America and possibly in the world. The sprawling Christmas installation opened to the public in Cuenca’s Cathedral of the Immaculate […]

People who cut back on carbohydrates may end up increasing their risk of premature death if they load their plates with meat and cheese instead of vegetables and nuts, a U.S. study suggests. While previous research has linked low-carbohydrate diets to better success with short-term weight loss and improvements in risk factors for premature death […]

The recent article in CuencaHighLife on the plight of taxi drivers caught in the internet-based gig economy is being read with great interest, encouraging even the most casual observer to ask if this “gig” business model is sustainable and has advantages traditional employment does not. The seeming inevitability of web-based gigs overrunning the countryside, even […]

This doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You could “retire overseas” and still spend part or even lots of your time back home. I make the point in case it hadn’t occurred to you already. The idea of moving to a new country, full stop, full-time, can be intimidating. Selling your current home, off-loading […]