Cuenca's Red-Light Zone Relocation Is Stuck — Council Says No One Wants to Do the Study

What's Happening

Cuenca's plan to relocate the city's zona de tolerancia — the legally recognized zone for sex work — has stalled. The reason: no one has delivered the technical consultancy study required to move forward (source).

The zone currently operates in Barrio Cayambe, where it's been "desde hace varios años" — for several years. Moving it is written into the city's PDOT (Plan de Desarrollo y Ordenamiento Territorial, the territorial development plan), which functions as Cuenca's master planning framework. But a formal relocation decision requires a technical study — and that study doesn't exist yet.

On the Record

Councilor Jenny Bermeo, who chairs the city's Comisión de Seguridad y Convivencia Ciudadana (Security and Citizen Coexistence Commission), told El Mercurio why nothing has moved: "no ha existido interés de participación, ni siquiera por parte de la academia." Translated: no one has wanted to take part — not even universities.

That's notable. Technical consultancies for sensitive urban planning issues usually get picked up by a university team or a mixed technical group. Bermeo is saying nobody bit.

Why It's Stuck

A few plausible reasons behind the silence: sex work zoning is legally complicated, politically charged, and socially stigmatized. Academic teams may not want the liability or the attention. Private consultancies may not see a fee that justifies the reputational work.

Either way, the PDOT commitment stays on paper until somebody actually does the study.

What This Means for You

• If you live near Barrio Cayambe, expect no immediate changes. The zone is not moving until the study happens, and the study has no deadline.
• PDOT delays are normal in Cuenca. Territorial development plans outline multi-year goals. Items like relocations often get carried over from plan to plan.
• This is a quiet indicator of how Cuenca's municipal process actually works. Rules on the books don't move unless someone does the technical labor to implement them — and sometimes, nobody is willing to.

Source: El Mercurio