Cuenca news today, written for expats

A water main ruptured during construction of the new Monay–IESS interchange, leaving parts of Paccha, El Valle, and five other neighborhoods without service. ETAPA is distributing water by tanker truck while repairs continue.

The reservoir that powers roughly 40% of Ecuador's electricity has lost 23 meters of water since March — and 7 of those meters vanished in the last two weeks alone. Meanwhile, electricity demand just hit an all-time record.

Prosecutors raided Centrosur offices in Cuenca as part of a massive corruption probe into Ecuador's state electricity company. About 50 employees are suspected of swapping bills for bribes — and Cuenca may be where it was all coordinated.

Ecuador is rolling out another curfew from May 3 to 18, covering nine provinces with 11 PM to 5 AM restrictions. Azuay isn't on the list, but if you're heading to the coast or Quito for the holiday weekend, you'll need to plan around it.

ETAPA bought nearly 1,200 hectares of páramo next to Parque Nacional Cajas to protect the Yanuncay watershed. If you remember the 2024 drought that nearly brought water rationing to the city, this is the follow-up you were hoping for.

A new Pet Relief area opened yesterday at Cuenca's airport — synthetic grass, a wash station, water bowls, and leash hooks right next to the arrivals door. It's small but it's the first dedicated pet space the airport has ever had.