$800 million loss at IESS police fund; Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje highway stabilized; Rural bus fares are unregulated; Project donates computers to students

Lunes, 28/9/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Nada.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Un campeonato mundial dedicado para un “angel” (A dedicated world championship for an “angel”) – Cuencano dancer José Antonio Romero won the Campeonato Mundial Virtual de Baile (Virtual World Dance Championship) against 2,500 other competitors from more than 50 countries. The 26 year old started competitive dancing when he was 14 and dedicated his win to his mother who recently died.

El pasaje rural está sin regular desde el 2012 (Rural fares unregulated since 2012) – Due to the health emergency, interparochial bus cooperatives have raised fares. Riders have rejected this and rural councils have called it illegal. In 2012, when the Agencia Nacional de Tránsito gave responsibility for fares to the Empresa Municipal de Movilidad (EMOV EP), it established fare prices which have not been complied with. Rural council members met with representatives of the bus cooperatives, but nothing was defined. The fares for rural routes should be set by the Concejo Cantonal de Cuenca, but there is no such ordinance. One of the problems is how to define the costs on which to base the fares since each parish is different. So far, EMOV has given a draft ordinance to the rural council members to review. <How long did it take to negotiate fares with the urban bus cooperatives?>

Cuenca dancer José Antonio Romero won the Virtual World Dance Championship and dedicated his victory to his late mother. (El Mercurio)

Una cadena de errores hay tras estafa a ISSPOL (A chain of errors is behind ISSPOL scam) – The Seguridad Social de la Policía National lost $800 million in wrong investments with 2 businesses, Delcorp and Ecuagran, and a private person, Jorge Chérrez Miño. <I’d say that an $800 million loss is an investment gone wrong on a Trumpian scale.> The loss represents almost half of the $1,500 million police social security fund. María Paula Romo pointed at the interior of the ISSPOL, institutions for control, and the Mercado de Valores. Hugo Villacrés, an ex-president of the IESS board indicated the the internal rules governing ISSPOL were modified to to grant absolute powers to the director. He compared it to IESS which has a committee to assess risk and profitability, an investment analyst, and an investment department before a decision is made by authorities. There is no similar chain of filters within ISSPOL. Villacrés also found a problem with the type of investments that ISSPOL made. IESS can only invest in AAA offerings or the public sector. He also corrected the misconception that the State would guarantee the payment of pensions and that the Government is not responsible for ISSPOL’s bad investments.

Recibe dinero falso en “oferta” de un teléfono (False money in a “deal” on a phone) – A woman who had just made a withdrawal from a bank to buy a phone so her daughter could attend virtual classes was a victim of a scam. Outside the mercado El Arenal, she was approached by a man who offered her a deal on a high end phone for $50. She was doubtful, but accepted and when she paid the man said the phone was $250. So when she returned the phone, she got back a fistful of wrinkled bills, and the man left quickly, leaving her with false money in the exchange. <So when something looks too good to be true, go with that feeling.u>

Sigue estabilización en vía a Pasaje (Stabilization continues on vía Pasaje) – About 70,000 cubic meters of material has been extracted to stabilize the vía Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje at km. 86 where there is a geological fault. More machinery has been added to lower the hill to avoid more material falling on the road. The Ministerio de Transporte y Obras (MTOP) wants to contract for a study to find a definitive solution in the next year. MTOP would like to install drains, terraces and geomesh, and a study would determine the actual mitigations and their cost.

Jóvenes celebraron Killa Raymi y dieron propuesta de norma (Young people celebrated Killa Raymi and gave a proposal for a regulation) – A group of young people, accompanied by two council members, celebrated Killa Raymi in Bellavista to honor the moon and in thanks for the fruits of the earth. They built a chakana or cruz del sur (southern cross) with fruit and flowers to thank Pacha Mama (Madre Tierra/ Mother Earth). The ceremony also served as an occasion for the youth to bring proposals on themes of entrepreneurship, gender equity and environmental protection to the council members. The event was part of the “100 acciones por el Bicentenario” initiative which various council members have assumed to celebrate Cuenca’s 200 years of independence. There will be cultural and ecological activities in different communities. <What would a Gringolandia bicentennial celebration look like? Besides involving lots of booze and maybe fireworks?>

Ingapirca reabrió con 123 visitantes (Ingapirca reopened with 123 visitors – El sábado anterior, the Ingapirca archeological complex reopened after a 6 month closure. For now, the complex will be open only on viernes, sábado, y domingo from 10-15:00 with 30% capacity. To visit, email visitas.ingapirca@patrimoniocultural.gob.ec 72 hours before your visit.

Oratorio emprende compaña solidaria (Oratory undertakes solidarity campaign) – The Oratorio Corazón de María has organized a campaign to collect cellphones, computers and tablets in good condition to give to children who need them to continue their studies on line. You can bring your donations to the Unidad Educativa Sor Teresa Valsé (calle Viracochabamba y av. Huayna Cápac) from 8-14:00.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne