It’s Monday afternoon and I’m sitting here glued to my computer watching footage of the damage Hurricane Dorian is causing in the Bahamas. I’m saddened to see how Mother Nature is destroying the lives of the people who live on this chain of islands. I’ve been through one hurricane (Hurricane Hugo in 1989, when I […]

The introduction of so many non-Spanish speaking North American people to Cuenca has led some forward thinking and ambitious Ecuadorians to develop an entirely new career option – becoming a facilitator in order to help many of these gringos to access the social security health system (IESS), make doctor/dentist appointments, accompany people to their appointments […]

MIKTA is an informal economic block of countries comprised by Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia. This partnership—created in 2013—aims to support the UN agenda for an effective global governance and the fight against climate change. Four ambassadors from MIKTA countries gathered in Quito last week to formally show their interest in adding Ecuador […]

Just in their first year of operations, Glovo has become leader in food and courier operations in Ecuador, says its CEO for Ecuador, Daniel Arevalo. Its growth has been running at 50% every month since the beginning of the year. Its areas of operation are primarily Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca. The Spanish company was founded […]

The Municipal Company for Telecommunications, Water Service and Sewage System (ETAPA) is trying to balance out their fiscal year. According to its General Manager, Jose Luis Espinoza, even the possibility of raising the price of water is being taken into account—but only as a “last resort.” ETAPA is Cuenca’s largest municipal company, which is why […]

The EMAC (Municipal Company for Waste Management) wants to remind people of their “BioEmac House.” This place exchanges organic compost or organic waste for organic fertilizer. The BioEmac house is located across from the Garaicoa School, on Avenida Veinticuatro de Mayo. You can bring your organic waste to the current BioEmac House in a proper […]

The World Bank is currently engaged in a $2 billion investment with Ecuador. This investment includes assessment for social and work policies. Back in 2014, Ecuador had not had any relationship with the World Bank for 8 years. But since then, when Alberto Rodriguez, World Bank Director for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru took office, […]

The EMOV (Municipal Company of Mobility) and the Ministry of Public Health have signed an agreement to build a new health center in the bus terminal in Cuenca. It will be a two-story building that will be used exclusively for health services. “A-type” health centers provide health prevention, health promotion and health recovery services. It […]

Recently there have been reports of retaliation against the migrant Venezuelan population,. This has been fueled by the belief that there is a rise in the crime rate in Ecuador because of the large influx of Venezuelans over the last two years. Some statistics, when viewed as a whole may paint another picture. The number […]

The Ministry of Social and Economic Inclusion (MIES) and the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) are collaborating to bring special training and assistance to the beneficiaries (or relatives of the beneficiaries) of the Joaquin Gallegos Lara grant program. This program provides a cash grant to the caretaker or family of an individual who has disabilities […]

About 8,000 informal vendors are in Cuenca, and to relocate them, according to the Municipality of Cuenca, would require building 13 more markets like those on 12 de Abril or the 10 de Augusto, which have about 650 stalls each. These itinerant merchants have asked the municipality to assign them a fixed space to work—they […]

For the last year, the Noble Gadua Association has been distributing bamboo straws throughout Ecuador. Their association (located in the Olon community in the province of Santa Elena) began this project in response to the growing concern of plastic use in Ecuador and its impact on the environmental. They are now supplying restaurants around Cuenca, […]

Cuenca Mayor signs 19 new contracts for city work The Mayor of Cuenca, Pedro Palacios, signed 19 contracts to carry out works in the urban parishes of Cuenca for a little more than $2.4 million. These works involve rigid paving, telephone channeling, electrical channeling, walls, sidewalks, curbs, signaling and mitigation of environmental impacts, which will […]

The Autonomous Decentralized Government (GAD) of the Tarqui Parish has signed a binding document with the Integrated Security Service ECU 911 in order to have security cameras for the small tourist venue El Turi. The GAD has signed the commitment to acquire the equipment, software and provide logistics for maintenance, while the ECU 911 will […]

The “Regulation of Accommodation in Real Estate for Tourist Use in Ecuador, except in Galapagos,” developed by the Ministry of Tourism, generates concern for several groups, including a temporary accommodation association. In the regulation, the ministry intends to regulate accommodations and provide a series of “obligations and rights for both hosts and users” of accommodations booked […]

The Centrosur Electrical company will begin work this week to place a high voltage (22,000 volt) transmission line underground. This line runs from the electric substation in Luis Cordero and Muñoz Vernaza, to the Visorrey station, close to the Driver’s Syndicate gas station (on Las Americas, close to the entrance to the Industrial Park). The […]