Cuenca news today, written for expats

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.

Cuenca's II Ruta de las Papas con Cuero has its eight finalists, all market vendors competing for the city's best bowl. The finals are May 2 at Mercado 3 de Noviembre, and a plate costs you $1.50 to $3.

EcuaPass, the American-owned visa agency operating out of Cuenca since October 2025, has hired Estefanía González — a Cuencana attorney and Universidad del Azuay graduate — as its first full-time employee.

Unidad Educativa Manuela Garaicoa de Calderón suspended in-person classes after a threat was found scrawled in a bathroom on Sunday. Police say there's no solid evidence linking it to criminal groups. Virtual classes continue through the week.