Forty-four caught in Cuenca immigration raids; Adopt a pet in the park; Quench your thirst at Paute fair; Hospital changes admission process; A busy weekend

Bored? –
(De El Mercurio del jueves, 14/5) Agenda –
16/5 a las 16-18:00 – Theatricalized route – Fairy tales, legends and stories about chocolate with the Barojo Collective – Museo Catedral Antigua – Cost: $10.00
16/5 a las 20:00 – Election of the Symbolic Mother – Mariachi Monterrey, Rumba Kings, Ballet Andino Cusnacunchic, Miryan y sus Bombazos Bailables – Iglesia Católica de Rayoloma.
16/5 a las 19:00 – AfroChonta: Concierto Ceremonial – Ancestral Afro-Ecuadorian music with drums, song and dance – IdiomArte (Mariscal Lamar 14-25) – Cost: $10 for presales, $12 at the door – Call 0994472951 for reservations.

National Police and immigration officials detained 44 undocumented foreigners Monday and Tuesday at the El Arenal market, Terminal Terrestre, the 9 de octubre plaza and the Chola Cuenca redondel. Following a hearing next week, many of them will be deported. (El Mercurio)

(De El Mercurio del jueves, 14/5) Inicia VIII Festival de Artes Escénicas de Nivel Inicial (The 8th Early Childhood Performing Arts Festival Begins) – This festival started on jueves, and will continue until domingo in the Teatro Pumapungo with the participation of about 80 early education centers and educational institutions. There will be children’s theater, music, dance, body expression and dramatizations at various hours over the 4 day festival. The festival is organized by the Espacio Taller y Mini Pedagogía with tickets available at the Teatro Pumapungo box office. <This sounds like one of the performances where the audience will be mostly family and friends of the performers.>

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 15/5) Música andina en festival (Andean music at a festival) – El Primer Festival de Música Tradicional Andina will be from el 5-13/6 in Cuenca and Nabón and will include concerts, rituals, conversations, and activities related to the Andean cosmology. Andrea Ordóñez, from the Dirección de Cultura de la Municipalidad, said the festival seeks to project the cultural identity of Nabón and open spaces for traditional music and dance to wider audiences.

(De El Mercurio del jueves, 14/5) “Heterotopías 4” agrupa a 37 artistas egresados (“Heterotopías 4” features 37 graduate artists) – A collective show 37 artists graduating from the Artes Visuales of the U. of Cuenca will be at the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno, and will run until el 30/5. The works are the final graduation projects of the 37 students, and include drawings, paintings, digital illustrations, sculpture and installations. The exhibit is open lunes a viernes from 9-16:00, and on weekends from 9-17:00.

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 15/5) “Coco Valdés” abre una galería (“Coco Valdés” is opening a gallery) – Carlos “Coco Valdés”, a well-known painter from Ecuador, has returned after years in Dubaí to open Valdés Arte Estudio near the Santo Pan bakery in the Complejo Patrimonial Todos Santos. The gallery will be a live workshop where the public can see the process of creation. As an exploring artist, he integrates technology to attract youth. His work includes mixed reality which allows physical sculptures to live with virtual layers and sounds. The use of virtual reality glasses is a tool to expand the artistic work.

(De El Mercurio del martes, 12/5) Sala “Kunanmi”, vitrina del arte contemporáneo (“Kunanmi” Gallery, a showcase for contemporary art) – On el jueves, a new space, “Kunanmi” opened in the Museo de las Culturas Aborígenes (Calle Larga 5.24). It is dedicated to contemporary art with a cultural focus. the opening show was “Pukuna/Deformaciones” by artist Angélica Alomoto. The pieces are mostly in clay and quartz with which the artist rethinks th pukuna, an ancestral instrument associated with power and cultural representation.

(De El Mercurio del jueves, 14/5) 35 productores estarán en Feria de la Chicha: Paute (35 producers will be at the Chicha Fair: Paute) Paute will be the scene for the Feria de la Chicha y las Bebidas Tradicionales which will bring together 35 producers from various locations in Azuay. It will be this sábado, 16/5 starting a las 6:00 outside the Oficina Técnica del Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería, y Pesca (MAGP – Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries). Attendees will be able to sample a variety of traditional beverages, gastronomic products, and handcrafted products such as chicha de jora, chicha de chonta (fruit of an Amazonian palm said to have medicinal properties such as increasing testosterone>, chicha de bulgaritos, misky de penco <I think this one is alcoholic and made from agave>, pulque <also alcoholic made from maguey sap>, arroz con leche, leche calostra, dulce de sambo, and coladas. <So you can start drinking at 6 am if you want.>

(De El Mercurio del jueves, 14/5) Adopción de mascotas (Pet adoption) -The city Comisión de Gestión Ambiental (CGA) with animal rescue foundations, will have a pet adoption event this domingo, 17/5 from 10:00 to 17:00 at the Casa de Adopciones in the Parque El Paraíso, near the parking lot. If you are interested in adopting a pet, remember that one of the main requirements is to make a commitment to guarantee the care, protection, and wellbeing of your pet. <Also if you get a puppy, you will come away with a promise that you won’t be bored or unloved as long as that dog lives.>

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del jueves, 14/5) Cambios en el hospital (Changes at the hospital) – The Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso is reorganizing admissions to Emergency starting el 18/5. All patients need to enter through Triage where the Manchester system will be used to evaluate urgency. Patients arriving by ambulance will use an exclusive entrance. Only one family member per patient can stay in the waiting room to help communicate with medical personnel. <I guess if it’s a bad enough emergency, the patient might not be conscious or otherwise able to talk.>

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 15/5) Operativo migratorio en Cuenca deja 44 retenidos (Immigration raid in Cuenca results in 44 detentions) – The Policía Nacional and institutions in charge of migration conducted “Apolo 09,” controls in El Arenal, the Terminal Terrestre, and the 9 de octubre plaza. 44 citizens of Venezuela, Colombia, and Perú were detained for having an irregular migration status and not having legal status to stay in the country. <Those of you who have been casual about renewing your visas, might want to take note. If you’re irregular (or illegal) it doesn’t matter if your country of origen is the US or Venezuela or Perú.>

After the initial court proceedings and the imposition of preliminary injunctions, 22 people were told to show up for an administrative hearing in 10 days. The other 22 were deported to Colombia and Perú. Xavier Bermúdez, governor of Azuay, said another 47 foreigners had their residencies verified and that their documents were in order. The operation also rescued a minor who was a victim of sexual exploitation, and caught 2 Ecuadorians with illegal substances.

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 15/5) El año de Asamblea (The Assembly Year) – The National Assembly finished a year with scarce oversight and legislation centered on Presidential initiatives. Of the 28 laws that were approved, only 2 were legislative proposals, 9 were urgent economic laws, 2 were declared unconstitutional and 6 had procedural failures. In oversight, of the 7 impeachment (of officals) motions; 5 were dismissed and 2 resulted in removals from office. Assembly president Niels Olsen, highlighted laws for the Armed Forces, Police, and prison system.
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Information in this column, including dates, times and locations, is courtesy of the El Mercurio newspaper. Comments between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), are the personal opinions of the author and not part of the news translation.