Security upgrades planned for Cuenca-Guayaquil route; Celebrate Corpus Christi with music; Ecuador, Uruguay sign pact; Swimming pool rehab underway

Viernes, 31/5/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Corpus Christi también se vive desde la música (Corpus Christi is also experienced through music ) – The Dirección Municipal de Cultura has organized free performances at the Glorieta in the Parque Calderón to celebrate Corpus Cristi, one of the most traditional fiestas. The folk dance group Illapa will perform el sábado, 1/6 a las 20:45 followed by Esteban Orellana at 21:00. El viernes, 7/6 a las 21:00, Mónica González will perform a program of local, national and Latin American music.

Pyrotechnic artisans have been busy in recent weeks preparing the explosive creations for the Corpus Christi celebration (Jesus would be proud). (El Mercurio)

De El Mercurio del jueves, 30/5 (2 articles):
Concierto de Los Kjarkas será el próximo 11 de julio (Los Kjarkas concert to be held on July 11) – Los Kjarkas, an emblematic Latin American folklore group will be in Cuenca with a selection of their greatest hits. The concert will be el 11/7 a las 20:00 in the Teatro de la Casa de la Cultura (calle Luis Cordero 7-22). Tickets are available on the Ticketshow platform with prices, not including IVA, from $41.50 to $81.50. They will perform songs such as Ave de cristal, Llorando se fue, Mi Zamba, Mi Negra o Tiempo Al Tiempo.

Una comedia que es espejo de la vida (A comedy that mirrors life) – “El Asunto…de Las Tres” is a comedy about 3 women, cousins, who get together over a bottle of wine and talk about daily life: the gossip of the year, bratty children, unbearable relatives, debts, and heartbreaks. <Sounds like “you got to laugh to keep from crying.” I wish my Spanish was good enough to be able to understand something like this.> The play will premiere 5/6 a las 20:00 in the Teatro Pumapungo. Tickets are available at Librimundi in Gran Colombia y Luis Cordero, Librimundi at the Mall del Río, Galería Miguel Illescas (Calle Larga y Miguel Ángel Estrella (next to the Teatro Pumapungo) and el Rey de Burrito (across the street from the Supermaxi El Vergel).}

Titular –

Trump se declara “preso político” (Trump declares himself a “political prisoner”) – <You can get the rest of that story from multiple points of view from English language sources on your own. Those who know me, know I’m celebrating someone who finally got his just desserts.>

Cuenca –

Falla de energía afectó el servicio del tranvía (Power failure affected tranvía) – <This is for those of you who tried to take the tranvia yesterday.> Tranvia service was temporarily frozen ayer for about 45 minutes due to an electrical problem. Trains were only running between the Río Tomebamba and Río Tarqui stops and between the Terminal Terrestre and Parque Industrial stops. Service was restored a las 17:00.

Sucesos –

“Están en marcha proyectos de seguridad entre Guayas y Azuay” (“Security projects underway between Guayas and Azuay”) – Juan Cristóbal Lloret, prefect of Azuay Province, announced that security projects to benefit tourism and commerce are underway. One need is to strengthen monitoring on the Guayaqul-Durán-Chongón route which connects to the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-Naranjal. Lloret explained that this coordination between the prefectures of Azuay Guayaquil will allow the delivery of 12 patrol cars to different roads in Guayaquil including the route that goes to Cuenca.

The installation of a video surveillance post is planned for Chongón. This will involve a mobile Unidad de Policía Comunitaria (UPC). The project includes improving the UPC in Tamarindo, located on the access to the Cajas, and expecting/waiting/hoping for help from the federal government to improve telecommunications connectivity in that zone. The electric companies of Guayas and Azuay have lighting projects for the area. Another part of the project is to install 5 Security Portals which will have cameras that can read license plates and connect to ECU-911 on roads leading into Azuay. <Do you feel safer yet? How about a guard with an Uzi for every vehicle travelling between Guayaquil and Cuenca?>

Nacional –

Pacto aéreo on Uruguay (Aviation agreement with Uruguay) – Ecuador and Uruguay have signed an Acuerdo Bilateral de Servicios Aéreos which will allow direct flights and facilitate travel, business, tourism and commerce. <I’ve heard Montevideo is a nice city.>

Deportes –

Piscina Olímpica comenzó su proceso para la rehabilitación (Olympic Swimming Pool began its rehabilitation process) – <This is for you swimmers out there.> The Federación Deportiva del Azuay is working to get the Piscina Olímpica de El Batán functioning again. The pool stopped its activities el 13/5 for lack of the fuel to run the calderos (boilers – our word for the day). The bunker fuel arrived on el 27/5 to start reheating the water. The chemicals for cleaning the water have already been acquired, and the legal representative is working to change the contractor who provides the person who is in charge of cleaning and vacuuming the pool. The reopening of the pool is expected in a few days. <Ecuadorian days which seem to correspond to dog years – multiply by 7.>

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne