Articles

After a painful 2% contraction in 2024, Ecuador's economy bounced back with 3.7% growth in 2025 — driven by booming exports and a 5.6% jump in investment. Here's what the numbers mean for Cuenca's expat economy, real estate, and your cost of living.

Ecuador's international reserves just hit $11.94 billion — the highest level since the country adopted the US dollar in 2000. If you keep your money in an Ecuadorian bank (or just spend dollars here daily), this is the single most important economic indicator you should be watching.

San José de Calasanz, a school serving children and young people with and without disabilities in Cuenca's Tres Puentes sector, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a music festival at Pumapungo Theater this Thursday night. Tickets are $15, the cause is beautiful, and you'll get to see BESO perform live.

Ecuador's international reserves reached a historic $11.86 billion in February — a 166% increase in just 14 months. For expats keeping savings in a dollarized economy, this is the most reassuring economic signal in years.

The XVII Bienal de Cuenca, themed 'El Juego' (The Game), has transformed colonial plazas, museums, and heritage homes into immersive art spaces. Most of it is free, and it's happening right now.

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.