Cuenca news today, written for expats

Pumapungo Museum is hosting a free workshop Thursday on 18th-century Andean kitchens — the food, the tools, the household rhythm. If you've ever wondered what mote-and-pork actually replaced, this is your event.

Local artist Jaime Lara painted 53 watercolors of birds from Cajas National Park, printed them onto a deck of playing cards, and launches the first decks today at Casa de la Lira in El Vado. The deck is $30. Yes, the condor is in there.

Fuel prices went up across the board today, diesel broke the $3/gallon barrier for the first time ever, and some gas stations in Quito are running dry. Here's what it means for your wallet in Cuenca.

El Mercurio reports Cuenca has logged 15 homicides through mid-May, with 11 involving firearms. For context, the city recorded 25 for all of 2025. Here's what the numbers actually tell us.

Ecuador's national curfew has produced 1,735 arrests in its first week. Closer to home, 30 people were nabbed at La Troncal checkpoints in Cañar with guns and stolen motorcycles.

Major construction kicks off in June on the Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme highway — $21.5 million in World Bank-funded improvements. Here's what to expect for the next 18 months.