Articles

Ecuador received a record $7.9 billion in remittances last year — more than bananas, shrimp, or cacao exports. Now a combination of ICE enforcement, deportation fears, and a new US tax on cash remittances is cutting those flows. In Cuenca, families report receiving half what they used to.

If Cuenca felt unusually packed this weekend, you weren't imagining it. Hotels hit 90% occupancy, 1.3 million Ecuadorians hit the road, and the government estimates the four-day feriado will generate up to $100 million in tourism spending. Here's what the Carnival boom actually looked like.

What started as a festive Carnival Saturday turned dangerous fast. Intense afternoon rains on February 14 and 15 flooded at least 15 neighborhoods, damaged homes in Barabón Chico, and sent emergency crews scrambling across western Cuenca. Meanwhile, in Cajas National Park, lightning struck four hikers on Cerro San Luis.

Remember when we told you they were going to try? They did it. On Valentine's Day, 30 chefs prepared 1,723 kilograms of mote pata at Plaza San Francisco, earning Cuenca an official Guinness World Record and feeding 9,500 people for free.

On February 13, the US and Ecuador announced they've 'substantially concluded' a new trade agreement. Ecuador is dropping tariffs on American wine, nuts, fruit, and wheat. Here's what might actually change for expats shopping at Supermaxi.

The city's security director admitted that most cameras you see in El Centro are just traffic counters, not crime-prevention tools. A new 'Cuenca Segura' project will install 63 cameras at 29 strategic points. Here's what's changing and what it means for safety in the neighborhoods you walk every day.

From Cuenca's first full wastewater treatment plant to potable water expansion in Santa Ana, ETAPA's 2026 plan includes 200 contracts worth $58.4 million. Here's what's actually in the pipeline and why it matters for the city's future.

ETAPA just graduated 350 community forest brigaders trained to defend the páramos and watersheds that supply every drop of Cuenca's tap water. After last year's fires scorched thousands of hectares, this volunteer army could be the difference between clean water and crisis.

Ecuador's weather agency issued an extreme UV radiation alert for the Sierra today. At 2,500 meters, Cuenca's UV index is already punishing on a normal day. Today it's worse. Here's what to do before you step outside.