Articles

A joint enforcement operation over the weekend shut down four liquor stores and six shops in Cuenca for operating outside permitted hours and running unauthorized services. If you've ever wondered why your corner tienda randomly closes early, these rules are why.

Two days after prosecutors raided Mayor Cristian Zamora's home, 12 of Cuenca's 15 city councilors signed a petition titled 'A Defense of Democracy.' The political battle over Zamora's future is intensifying — and it matters for the city.

Prosecutors raided Mayor Cristian Zamora's home, another property, and City Hall on Monday morning. The investigation centers on $80,000 in allegedly unexplained bank transactions. Zamora calls it 'clear persecution.'

Do you owe taxes in Ecuador as an expat? The short answer: probably not much, if anything. Here's how Ecuador's tax system works for foreign residents, including income tax, IVA, and the key deadlines.

The blue-uniformed officers who handle parking tickets, noise complaints, and street vendor disputes in Cuenca have officially rebranded. The Guardia Ciudadana is now the Cuerpo de Agentes de Control Municipal, with a new logo and a new downtown headquarters. Same people, same job — new sign on the door.

Alexandra Quintanilla, the second-highest elected official in Azuay province, was caught driving drunk at a Cuenca checkpoint, refused the breathalyzer, and showed a photo of someone else's license. A judge sentenced her to 30 days in prison and a $1,446 fine. Here's the full story.

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 you see people in teal blue uniforms patrolling El Centro and don't recognize them — relax, it's still the Guardia Ciudadana. Cuenca's municipal security force ditched the old red look for a full rebrand in 2026. Here's what changed and what they actually do.

Interior Minister John Reinberg is pushing to strip municipal governments of traffic management powers and centralize control nationally. Cuenca's EMOV says not so fast — here's what it could mean for your license, your fines, and your daily commute.