Cuenca news today, written for expats

The University of Cuenca Symphony Orchestra and Dance Company will present El Amor Brujo on July 16 and 17 at Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz. The performances start at 20:00 and admission is free.

Cuenca’s Virgen del Carmen celebrations continue today with a noon field mass, a 17:30 Eucharist, an 18:30 procession, a 20:00 dance festival and cold fireworks afterward. The program marks the close of the quincenario at Santuario del Carmen de la Asunción.

Cuenca closed June with a basic family basket of $876.71, the highest among Ecuador’s measured cities in the first half of 2026. For expats tracking monthly costs, housing, utilities, transport, and recreation were the pressure points to watch.

New yellow lines along the road to Miraflores have blocked parking in both directions, drawing complaints from nearby businesses. EMOV says the measure responds to pedestrian-safety concerns, but a new round of signage is now expected after a meeting with merchants.

Cuenca’s acting mayor has accepted the exits of ETAPA’s María Verónica Polo and EMOV’s Lenin Guzmán as the municipality reviews its top-level leadership. The next appointments matter because these agencies touch water, telecom, transit, and traffic operations across the city.

The Universidad del Azuay has presented simLAB Learning Space UDA, a clinical simulation center for medical students. The center has about 880 square meters, 220 simulators, and training scenarios meant to build decision-making before students work with patients.