Cuenca's Guardia Ciudadana Just Got a Makeover — New Teal Uniforms, New Command Center, Same Job

You know those municipal officers in red uniforms you see around El Centro, the markets, and along the Tomebamba? They look different now.

The Guardia Ciudadana de Cuenca — the city's municipal security and public order force — officially rolled out new teal blue and navy uniforms for 2026, replacing the red that they've worn for years. It's part of a broader institutional rebrand that includes a new logo, a new command center, and a modernization push.

What Changed

• Uniform color: Red → teal blue and navy blue
• New institutional logo and visual identity
• New command center — a centralized operations hub for coordinating patrols and emergency response
• Updated training protocols focused on community policing and conflict resolution

The change was announced by Alfredo Tosi, commander of the Guardia Ciudadana, who described it as part of "an evolution that responds to the transformation of the city."

Wait, What Is the Guardia Ciudadana?

If you're relatively new to Cuenca, you might not know exactly what these officers do — or how they're different from the National Police.

The Guardia Ciudadana is a municipal force that reports to the city government (GAD Municipal de Cuenca), not the national government. They handle:

• Public order in markets, parks, and plazas — they're the ones you see at Feria Libre, Mercado 10 de Agosto, and Parque Calderón
• Parking enforcement — the blue-zone street parking system
• Street vendor regulation — managing informal commerce in El Centro
• Noise complaints and neighborhood disputes
• Supporting events — crowd management during festivals, parades, and public gatherings
• Emergency first response — they're often first on scene for non-criminal incidents

They are not the National Police. They don't carry firearms. They don't handle serious crimes. If you need actual police, you call ECU 911 or go to a police station. The Guardia Ciudadana is more like municipal code enforcement with a community safety role.

Why the Rebrand?

Cuenca has been investing in modernizing city services across the board — new security cameras (900 across the city), the traffic monitoring system, the Tranvía, digital permitting. The Guardia Ciudadana rebrand fits that pattern.

The teal blue also visually distinguishes them more clearly from the National Police (dark blue/black) and transit officers (EMOV, which wears a different blue). The old red uniforms were distinctive but didn't project the "professional municipal security" image the city is going for.

What This Means for You

Practically, nothing changes about how you interact with them. If a Guardia Ciudadana officer approaches you in El Centro about parking, street vending, or a noise issue, the interaction is the same — just in a different colored uniform.

But if you see groups of people in unfamiliar teal blue uniforms around the city this weekend and momentarily wonder who they are: it's just the Guardia Ciudadana, same as always, with a fresh coat of paint.

Source: El Mercurio