Cuenca news today, written for expats

The Yanuncay River overflowed on March 12, destroying roads, bridges, and homes in the Barabón sector of San Joaquín. Six community bridges collapsed. One neighbor spent $12,000 of his own money. Here's where recovery stands a month later.

The Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme highway reopened Sunday April 19 at kilometer 92, after a landslide closed the route Thursday the 16th. The Ministry of Infrastructure warns drivers about rain and falling rocks — and several other kilometer markers are still only partially open.

Gabriela Criollo, a Cuenca resident with a business degree and a personal history with anxiety and depression, has released 'Manejar la ansiedad día a día' — a self-help guide drawn from her own recovery. $31 on Hotmart.

Chiara Cazzuola, Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, was welcomed at Cuenca's Unidad Educativa María Auxiliadora on Wednesday, April 16. She's in Ecuador for the global Fiesta de la Gratitud on April 26 in Macas — tied to the recent canonization of Santa María Troncatti.

Cuenca's beloved children's magazine Chispiola turned 20 with a concert at Teatro Sucre on April 16, drawing 800 students, teachers, and supporters. The free magazine still reaches 50 public schools across the cantón — here's the story behind it.

Police arrested six suspects in Ricaurte for an alleged extortion operation across Cuenca and other Azuay cantons. Evidence recovered on scene suggests multiple victims. Here's what's known — and what to do if you ever get a threatening call.