Cuenca news today, written for expats

Ecuador and Peru are discussing a regional air route that could connect Cuenca with Chiclayo, and eventually link Galápagos, Cuenca, Chiclayo and Cuzco. The idea follows an open-skies memorandum signed during the IV Andean Air Transport Forum in Quito.

Officials and technicians from Ecuador’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport inspected work underway on the Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme road. The interventions are part of a $21.8 million rehabilitation contract signed in March 2026 with World Bank financing.

Acting mayor Marisol Peñaloza temporarily suspended international travel for council members and senior municipal officials on June 22, 2026. She framed the move as part of a transition and austerity process inside the municipality.

Cuenca has recorded 28 traffic deaths between January 1 and June 21, 2026, with the Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme road accounting for 17 of them. The latest fatal crash happened early Sunday in the Y de Tarqui sector on the Panamericana Sur.

Cuenca’s municipal canine patrol receives 80 to 90 monthly reports of alleged animal abuse or irresponsible pet ownership. The city has opened a complaint line and says about 21,000 pets have been sterilized in the last three years.

Cuenca’s municipal waste company is evaluating land for a proposed “Complejo Verde” with a citizen-service center and a logistics center. The project is tied to a $26 million French Development Agency credit for city works and projects.