Cuenca is heading into its Independence celebrations with an unusually full calendar — and a fuel problem that could complicate getting around. Here's what's happening in Ecuador's southern highland city, drawn from the local daily El Mercurio.
Pop culture takes over Mall del Río first. Comic Con Ecuador lands at the mall's Centro de Convenciones on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, opening at 11:30 both days. The guest list mixes international and Latin American names: Walter Emanuel Jones, the original Black Power Ranger; Paul Zaloom of Beakman's World; voice actresses Patricia Azan and Laura Torres; DJ Luca; and singer Jhair Vite. Tickets cost $12 plus tax through Ticketshow Ecuador.
If your taste runs more orchestral, the Michael Jackson Sinfónico show makes its Cuenca debut on 30 and 31 October at 8pm at the Teatro Casa de la Cultura. It reworks the King of Pop's hits with symphonic arrangements, choirs, dancers and stage effects. Seats run from $18 general to $30 box, sold via Ticketmas.
Culture of a quieter kind is on offer too. The Feria Segundas Lecturas book fair runs 31 October to 3 November in Plaza Pablo Neruda beside the Daniel Córdova library, with 24 booths open daily from 11am to 8pm — reading and writing workshops, bookbinding demos, talks, launches and live music to close it out. And out at Cumbe, 15km along the Cuenca–Girón–Pasaje road, the 73rd National Agricultural and Livestock Fair takes over the fairgrounds from 1 to 3 November (8am to 8pm), with a judged cattle show, food stalls, and the province's first Expo Cuarto de Milla showcasing American Quarter Horses.
Practical warning if you're driving: diesel has been in short supply. The Challuabamba fuel terminal went three days without normal dispatches, leaving stations in Cuenca dry. Distributors were told to collect diesel from La Troncal instead, but the extra transport cost would eat their margins, so most refused. A distributors' rep suggested surging demand for diesel-generated electricity may be behind it, though there's no official explanation — petrol grades are arriving normally. One bus operator, Gualacense Flotabus, had to scramble to keep school routes running after turning up at its usual station to find no diesel.
There's environmental fallout elsewhere too. Endurance motorbike riders tore up private land near the Cajas National Park water recharge zone, and the municipal utility ETAPA says the wetland and soil damage could take two years to heal naturally. Riders identified from video footage face fines of up to $4,820. Separately, a national audit found the city's waste company illegally outsourced its street-cleaning work, with investigators urging the municipality to hire the cleaners — known as the "hormiguitas chúas" — directly.
For travellers, the takeaway is simple: Cuenca's holiday weekend is packed with things to do, but fill the tank early if you're on a diesel vehicle and expect queues. The book fair and the Cumbe fairground event are the free-and-easy options; Comic Con and the symphony show need tickets bought ahead.
