Mayor will run for reelection; Cuenca’s Indurama to market Motorola-Lenovo products; Weekend road assaults reported; Swan Lake on ice in June

Lunes, 20/5/2024

Hola, Todos –

Titular –

Alianza da impulso a industria tecnológica (Alliance boosts technology industry) – The Grupo Consenso-Indurama, headquartered in Cuenca, and Motorola-Lenovo have established an exclusive distribution agreement for Motorola cellphones and TVs. The Grupo plans to invest over $2 million in 2024. As part of the investment, 2 Motorola-Lenovo experience centers have been opened in the Centro Comercial Malecón in Guayaquil and the Centro Comercial El Recreo in Quito. Johanna Vinueza, Marketing Manager of the Grupo Consenso-Indurama for Motorola-Lenovo, said these experience centers represent not only a new phase for the brand in Ecuador, but consolidate the relationship as strategic partners in the region. The official license means the Grupo can manufacture, produce, and sell Motorola TVs in Latin America.

Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora reviewed his accomplishments during the past year and announced he will seek reelection in 2026. (El Mercurio)

According to the SRI, in 2021, the Grupo Consenso-Indurama occupied the 35th place in terms of size in a registry of 302 corporations. The latest data showed the Grupo had assets of $782 million and included 63 businessses of which Indurama was the principal business. The company reported $229 million in income with profits of $3.6 million. The company which makes small and large domestic appliances was started in Cuenca in 1972 and sells its products in 20 countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Cuenca –

USD 82.000 asignan para dar mantenimiento a 6 mercados ($82,000 allocated for maintenance of 6 mercados) – Diego Cedillo, Director of the Municipal Mercados announced the signature of a contract for maintenance to the infrastructure of 6 mercados in Cuenca: 3 de Noviembre, 9 de Octubre, 10 de Agosto, 12 de Abril, 27 de Febrero, y El Arenal. The 3 main items to be done are cold rooms <walk-in boxes?>, water pumps, and extraction (ventilation?) systems. The work is planned to be finished in 60 days and will start at the mercado 10 de Agosto which will also have remodeling work done in the gastronomic area of the market. <In other words, the food court?>

Alcalde Zamora confirma intenciones de reelección (Mayor Zamora confirms reelection intentions) – Mayor Cristian Zamora reported on his term as mayor of Cuenca in El Valle Parish yesterday morning. He mentioned the start of construction on 3 municipal hospitals in rural zones, an ambulatory addiction center, and new work on security, roads, day care centers, and more. He said that in only 1 year, his administration has accomplished 60 of the 101 proposals he presented during his mayoral campaign. In the future, he offered the implementation of the first transport terminal in the south part of Cuenca in the Narancay sector and the construction of a new Fire Station in El Valle.

He recognized pending proposals such as security in zones such as the Chola Cuencana which is a center for prostitution and the Feria Libre which has micro-trafficking. He confirmed he will run for reelection, and thanked his current party, the Izquierda Democrática, as well as the support from Renovación, and welcomed more organizations to join him in his proposals.

Sucesos –

Simultáneos casos de secuestro en Cuenca (Simultaneous cases of kidnapping in Cuenca) – There were 3 cases of kidnapping in Cuenca over the weekend. The first was the afternoon of el viernes, 17/5, when a Chinese man was able to escape and ask for help, He was held in the 2nd floor of a house between Luis Moreno Mora y Cornelio Merchán near the ECU 911. He escaped from a window and fell to the street where he got help and was treated for lesions.

Later that night about 22:00, an Ecuadorian couple living in the US who were visiting Ecuador were surprised by a criminal gang. They had rented a car in Cuenca and were heading towards Biblián in Cañar when they were intercepted by armed delinquents in at least 3 cars. The victims, both about 60 years old, were threatened and suffered physical aggression. They were taken towards Azuay on the Via Cuenca-Loja going towards Nabón canton where they were tied up and abandoned in the Shiña zone. The delinquents stole the car.

On el 18/5, armed delinquents in a car tried to kidnap the driver of a car who had his two minor children with him in the La Uncovía sector. He was threatened with a gun but managed to escape. The delinquents fired at his car and then fled. <Be careful out there and drive defensively.>

To counter these crimes the Policía Nacional has implemented the Fuerza Investigativa Contra la Extorsión (FICE) in coordination with specialized units. The FICE plan started el 18/3/2024 and to date has executed 102 police operations which have affected 71 criminal groups. It has captured 482 people of which 153 are part of groups considered terrorist by the Governement. It has also seized 84 guns, 2,434 rounds of ammunition, 2,428 kilos of drugs, 635 tons cellphones, $8,926 in cash, 66 vehicles, and 61 motos. 68 kidnapping victims have been rescued through 229 raids nationally.

Descuentos y compras –

El Lago de los Cisnes (Swan Lake) on ice – junio 11 in the Teatro Pumapungo on an Ecological Ice Rink <I hope that it isn’t the synthetic ice that’s impossible to skate on like in the rink in Cuenca> – performers from Russia, Ukraine, US, Argentina, England – Tickets at El Surtido and meet2go. <No prices given.>

Riccardo Perotti in concert – 22/5 a las 20:00 in the Teatro Pumapungo – Ticket prices of $30, $30, $50, & $80 not including IVA. Tickets available at Red* Tickets and El Surtido.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne