Health brigades search for the unvaccinated; Hospital ICU units at 100% again; Quevedo protesters support ‘Big Money’ operation; Highway work lagging

Jueves, 1/7/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Nada.

Titular – “Big Money” bajo suspecha e indagación (“Big Money” under suspicion and investigation) – The Fiscalía (Prosecutor) and Policía Nacional raided 3 properties associated with the “Big Money” pyramid scheme without arresting anyone. Hundreds of people in Quevedo took to the streets to support Miguel Nazareno “Don Naza,” the owner of Big Money. Protestors asked that Big Money be allowed to continue. Big Money started in mayo with a few depositors and in less than 2 months had 5,000 investors, some of whom made the 90% interest promised.

Cuenca –

Beneplácito por adelanto del plan de vacunación (Approval of advancement of vaccination plan) – Ministra of Salud Pública, Ximena Garzón, announced advancing the vaccine plan by giving shots to people in the rango etario (age range – your phrase for the day just because I like etario) from 55 down to 49 years this week. The ages were increased because of absenteeism in the eligible older groups. Additionally, MSP brigades are are making sweeps and visits to houses where there are people who haven’t gotten their jabs. <Will this be a case of you can run, but you can’t hide? I think gringos who do not vote and are not affiliated with IESS will be pretty much invisible.> Phase 3, “No Contagio,” will start el 12/7 with ages from 48 to 45. Businesses and organizations will also be part of this phase, and organize in coordination with el Comité Empresarial Ecuatoriano (CEE).

This unrepaired highway fissure in Morona Santiago Province, near Gualaquiza, caused an accident on Tuesday.

No bajar la guardia (Don’t let your guard down) – Fausto Idrovo, zone 6 health coordinator, reported that millions of doses are coming so that the goal of vaccinating 9 million people in the 1st 100 days of Lasso’s administration can be met. Idrovo called for care on the part of the citizenry to keep up with biosecurity measures such as mask wearing even for those who have received one or both shots, since immunity is not reached as soon as you receive your shot. ICUs are over 100% full if the waiting list for beds is taken into account. He said that for two days there was worry about vaccines, but fortunately, they arrived in the country. Because of this, he asked people to be patient with respect to the vaccination schedule. Data from the MSP on a national basis, showed 458,504 cases confirmed with PCR tests, 423,688 patients recuperated, 48,804 hospital discharges, 1,032,949 cases dismissed/discarded, 15,900 confirmed deaths and 5,660 probable deaths.

Pïden retroceder en ordananza (Request to back up on ordinance) – The Colegio de Arquitectos de Azuay (CAA) publically requested the suspension of the Ordanance de Control para el Suelo Urbano, Suelo Rural y Suelo Rural de Expansión Urbana de Cuenca (Ordanance of Control for Urban Land, Rural Land and Rural Land of Urban Expansion of Cuenca) which establishes stiff fines for building without permits. Issues brought up were minimum lot sizes for building a house in rural areas, the right of people to have housing, uncontrolled growth, and expansion of basic services (utilities) and their cost.

Especial –

Poesía para rescatar el Quichua (Poetry to rescue Quichua) – 80 copies of “Cielo, Mar y Tierra” (Sky, Sea and Land or Heaven, Sea and Dirt?) by Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral were given to children in Nabón canton. The books are biligual, Spanish and Quichua, as a way to keep Quichua from disappearing. The Unidad Educativa Baltazar Aguirre is trying to include quichua in its curriculum. One teacher said it is important because it is a legacy of our ancestral culture which the school is trying to strengthen so the language won’t be lost. Currently, it is spoken at home and almost never heard on the street so that students do not value the language. The mother of a 5 year old who recited part of a poem, remembered her parents speaking Quichua at home as a secret language. <Did you parents ever wish for a way you could talk about the kids in front of their faces and they couldn’t understand you?>

Region –

Mantenimiento emergente para vías (Emergency maintenance for roads) – Santiago López of the Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas (MTOP) announced that routine emergency maintenance will be carried out until studies can be done and funds are found to finish pending road projects. <Would a routine emergency be an oxymoron?> This routine maintenance seeks to guarantee vehicular circulation through critical stretches that had problems over the winter. The problems have been on the roads connecting Azuay with the Oriente and Costa.

Nacional –

Pablo Celi es llamado a juicio político (Pablo Celi is called for political judgement) – The Comisión de Fiscalización of the Asamblea Nacional qualified a political judgement against Pablo Celi, Comptroller General, who is currently in jail. This starts the 45 days the Asamblea has to approve or disapprove his removal and censure. Evidence for and against him should be presented in the next 15 days. The case is based on 6 causes including investigation for organized crime, arrogation of duties, and interference in the electoral process.

The Asamblea president, Fernando Villavicencio, announced an investigation into ex-president Lenin Moreno in the case of the Ina Papers. Villavicencio said that there is evidence of deposits of millions from Sinohydro, builder of rhe Coca Codo hyroelectric plant, into offshore accounts belonging to family and friends of Moreno. The ex-president will be called to testify before the Comisión de Fiscalización in the coming weeks.

And that´s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne
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Editor’s note: Jeanne’s Periodico is a translated digest of news from the Cuenca daily newspaper El Mercurio. If details, such as event dates and times, do not appear in the translation, they did not appear in the newspaper (please don’t ask her for them). The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.