Police crack down on informal windshield washers; Births drop in Azuay; Animal abandonment laws not enforced; New animal shelter is under construction

Miércoles, 3/7/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Festival de carnes asadas potenciará a San Joaquín (Grilled meat festival will boost San Joaquín) – The Primer Festival de las Carnes Asadas (First Grilled Meat Festival) will be held in the plaza central in San Joaquín el domingo, 7/7. It will start with a bike ride through the parish at 7:00 and continue at 10:00 in the plaza central with 20 stands from restaurants offering a variety of grilled meat and other typical dishes. There will be artistic presentations, traditional dance, music, comedy and other activities.

Titular –

The number of live births is dropping in Azuay Province, following national and international trends. (El Mercurio)

Tercer estado de excepción (Third state of emergency) – See today’s (Miércoles) article in CHL for story.

Cuenca –

Falta de consciencia deriva en abandono de mascotas (Lack of awareness leads to pet abandonment) – Reports of puppies found in jute sacks and videos of pets left in the streets by their “owners” are some of the evidence of abandoned domestic animals. Carmita Ávila, director of the Fundación Rescate Animal Cuenca, said reports to social networks show the numbers of abandoned animals. Coral Bernita, director of Patas Cansadas said the situation is bad since there used to be 14 reports per day and it is now 20-25. She said the 4 causes are the age of the pets — old, if they’re sick, if the females are in heat, and migration when the owners who are leaving the country don’t have anyone to leave the pets with.

Both women said that in spite of an ordinance protecting domestic animals, sanctions are not applied. People report abandonment and include dates and evidence such as videos to the Unidad de Gestión Animal (UGA) where the reports are processed. But when they get to the Unidad Sancionadora del Municipio e Cuenca (Municipality of Cuenca Sanctioning Unit) which is charged with applying fines, “quedan en nada” (they come to nothing). Councilwoman Gabriela Brita said there is a lack of work on responsible ownership since many people don’t have awareness of the responsibilities of pet ownership. She said more needs to be spent on personnel to strengthen the UGA and Unidad Sancionadora as well as on sterilization.

Refugio de animales en Cumbe (Animal shelter in Cumbe) – A new Centro de Gestión de Animales Domésticos de Compañia (Companion Animal Management Center) is planned to start functioning in Cumbe this year. The processing for the bailment of the land to ARCA is in progress. ARCA is the oldest animal welfare foundation in the city. The earthworks, embankments and walls have been constructed. ARCA will need to build the installations. <Put a donation to the animal shelter in your budget. If you don’t, you lose the privilege to squawk about “Why don’t “those people” do something about all the dogs on the streets?”> The shelter will be a space where dogs and cats can have a dignified life. It will also be a place where students can learn about the rights and respect for the lives of animals.

Cada año nacen menos bebés (Fewer babies are born each year) – The Insituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC), confirmed that fewer babies are being born in Azuay each year. <For you numbers junkies, the next 9 paragraphs are full of statistics on birth and death rates for babies.> Diego Moscoso, a pediatrician said that women are postponing having children and there are more women who do not want children at all. There is also better family planning and less attention to the taboos about contraception which is becoming more accessible and cheaper. Economist María Luis Morales said that this gradual decrease in the birth rate will obligate the Government to modify its public policies. There will be unprecedented impacts on social security since there will be more retirees and fewer contributors. The health and social systems will need to adapt, such as adding more gerontologists and having fewer pediatricians.

Sucesos –

Limpiaparabrisas son retirados de las calles (Windshield cleaners are removed from the roads) – <Limpiaparabrisas feels liike German – stringing several words together make one long word. Clean-stop-breezes> The Guardia Ciudadana conducted control operations to remove the windshield cleaners from public spaces including Control Sur, Av. Isabel la Católica, El Vergel, and la Chola Cuencana. People who clean windshields were removed <I think relocated would be a more accurate word since if they’re chased out of one location, they’d just go to another intersection.> after complaints by drivers of verbally agressive and intimidating behavior.

Nacional –

Portoviejo: asesinan a excandidato (Portoviejo: excandidate murdered) – José Miguel Mendoza, a former candidate for mayor of Portoviejo, the capital of Manabí Province, was shot ayer in an attack on the vehicle he was in. The vehicle was intercepted by armed men on a motorcycle. Police found 8 ballistic indications (shells?) at the site. Mendoza was part of the Nueva Gente movement. This killing is in addition to the killing of an excandidate for the Asamblea Nacional last junio in Quevedo. Mauricio Vásconez was also attacked while he was in a vehicle.

Descuentos y compras –

ETAFASHION sale – up to 60% off plus 10% off with direct credit on selected merchandise . Special prices from $5.99.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne