Shooting Threat Shuts Down One of Cuenca's Largest Schools — Here's What We Know
Cuenca Expat Staff
What Happened
On Sunday, April 27, someone wrote a shooting threat in a bathroom at Unidad Educativa Manuela Garaicoa de Calderón — one of the largest schools in Cuenca.
The school immediately suspended in-person classes and switched to virtual learning for the rest of the week. The Ministry of Education's Zone 6 coordination confirmed they activated protection protocols "para garantizar la integridad de la comunidad educativa."
The Response
Mayor Cristian Zamora confirmed the city has deployed constant monitoring at the school, including security cameras and Guardia Ciudadana personnel on site.
The National Police have been investigating since the message was discovered. So far, according to Zamora, they "no han encontrado aún evidencias sólidas que la amenaza sea de grupos delictivos" — no solid evidence that the threat came from criminal organizations.
What This Means for You
If your kids attend Garaicoa or a nearby school:
- In-person classes at Garaicoa are suspended through the end of this week
- Virtual learning is active — check with teachers for the schedule
- Police presence around the campus has been increased
- There's been no indication of a credible, organized threat — but the school is taking zero chances
This is the kind of incident that's become more common across Ecuador's schools in recent months. The response here was fast — same day suspension, police deployment, virtual backup activated. Whether it turns out to be a prank or something more serious, the protocols worked.
If you're at a different school and want to know what safety measures are in place, now's a reasonable time to ask your school's administration directly.
Source: El Mercurio
