Articles

Over 700,000 people in Ecuador need to file income tax returns by March. If you earned more than $12,081 last year — including rental income or freelance work — you're probably one of them. Here are the dates, thresholds, and what you need to know.

Ecuador's public health system has a bizarre problem: too many general practitioners and not enough surgeons, anesthesiologists, and specialists. Cuenca's José Carrasco Arteaga Hospital is short on oncologists while 13,000+ patients wait for operations nationwide.

Cuenca's own Olympic swimmer launched a free program for low-income children that goes way beyond the pool. With sports medicine, nutritionists, and psychologists on board, the results are transforming not just kids — but their entire families.

The dental clinic at Universidad Politécnica Salesiana offers everything from fillings to oral surgery — performed by advanced students under faculty supervision. Here's the address, hours, and how to book.

The Banco de Alimentos de la Arquidiócesis de Cuenca just turned eight years old. With 60 volunteers, two vehicles, and partnerships with local supermarkets, they're feeding 38 organizations that serve the city's most vulnerable. Here's how to donate.

The national numbers are in from Carnival 2026 — Ecuador's tourism sector pulled in $81.9 million over four days. But Cuenca's story was more complicated, with the city ranking third nationally in emergency calls. Here's the full post-Carnival breakdown.

Medicine shortages, payment failures, and overwhelmed hospitals plague Ecuador's public system. But for expats in Cuenca, private healthcare remains remarkably affordable — if you know how to navigate your options.

Cuenca's real estate market is defying Ecuador's broader economic headwinds. Property values are up 8-12% annually, rents are surging in expat-popular neighborhoods, and the investor visa threshold just went up. Here's a practical breakdown of what's happening and how to navigate it.

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.