City to improve airport runway and study park expansions; Curfews begin in five provinces; Protests planned; Silver exhibition showcases Andean culture

Bored? –
(De El Mercurio del lunes, 2/11) Muestra en Museo de la Moneda (Exhibition at the Museo de la Moneda) – The show ‘Por los caminos del Inca: orfebrería, cosmovisión y memoria de los Andes’ (‘Along the Inca Trails: goldsmithing, worldview, and memory of the Andes’) will be in the Museo del Banco Central (calle Larga y av. Huayna Cápac) as part of the Independence of Cuenca fiestas and run until el 29/11. The show, which is coming to Ecuador for the first time, will have 43 silver pieces that reflect the history, creativity and traditions of the Andean peoples. The pieces are part of the Peru Silver Board of Trustees Collection and were made by master silversmiths and workshops. The show revolves around the Qhapaq Ñan, the ancient road system that connected territories and communities, facilitating the exchange of products, and the circulation of knowledge and cultural practices and techniques that are still in effect today. Hours during the holidays are from 10:00 -16:00. Free.

The 2027 Cuenca municipal budget includes $17.1 million for improvements to the Mariscal La Mar Airport runway. (El Mercurio)

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del sábado, 31/10) USD 17,1 millones destinan para la pista del aeropuerto ($17.1 million allocated for the airport runway) – The Municipio de Cuenca plans to allocate $417.1 million for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the airport runway in 2027. The project was a part of the plans presented in the Extended Municipal Budget for the next year which rose to $263,397,351. Income included $119.6 million in ingresos corrientes (operating revenue) <I’m relying on DeepL Translator since I have no idea how to translate accounting terms>, $66.6 million in ingresos de capital (capital income), and $77.2 million in ingresos de financiamiento (financing revenue).

Expenses included $42.2 million for gastos corrientes (operating expenses), $163.2 million for inversión (investment), $9.9 million for gastos de capital (capital expenditures), and $48 million for aplicación de financiamiento (financing application). City planning projects include studies for different interventions including the west phase of the Jardín Botánico, the 2nd phase of Miraflores park, the San Roque plaza, the 3 de noviembre pedestrian path between El Vado and Todos Santos, and phases 2 & 3 of the parque del Arco. Progress reports were given on other projects.

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 31/10) Cucarachas en local de venda de ‘salchis’ (Cockroaches in a “salchis” shop) – The Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) closed a fast food shop after finding an infestation of cockroaches and serious hygienic-sanitation deficiencies in the areas for food prep and storage. The cleanliness of the public spaces hid completely different conditions in the kitchen. Technicians found cockroaches in the refrigerators, around bags of potatoes and on the walls of food prep areas. There was also an accumulation of trash, leftover food, and grease.

One of the worst discoveries were cockroaches frozen in the ice that had accumulated in a defective refrigerator which also stored meats intended for making hamburgers. Besides this, were oils in poor condition, greasy utensils, and an oven being used to store clothes <The oven might have been the cleanest place in the kitchen>. The operation was carried out to inspect fast food/salchipapa shops in Totoracocha. Although most of them had good sanitary conditions, 2 were closed by ARCSA, and <I hope none of you showed up yesterday for your salchipapas and found a “closed” seal across the door.>, and the other by city authorities for not having land use and operating permits as well as sanitary deficiencies. ARCSA also inspected bakeries to verify hygienic-sanitation conditions in the making of the guaguas de pan.

The teams also toured the comida tipica establishments in the Don Bosco and 12 de Octobre sectors where no sanitary issues were found. <They must have missed the place where I once saw a rat running across the floor in the dining area. But the cuy was still delicious.> About 30 restaurants were randomly inspected.

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 31/10) Toque de queda en cinco provincias (Curfew in 5 provinces) – With a new decree, Pres. Noboa imposed curfews in 5 coastal provinces starting at midnight on el sábado and continuing until el martes, 10/11. The hours of the curfew are from midnight until 5:00, and include the provinces of Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos, El Oro and Esmeraldas. This is the 4th time in 2026 that curfews have been decreed. There are worries from the productive sector since the curfew coincides with a national holiday. <Might be good for tourism in Cuenca – come on up – no curfew here.>

(De El Mercurio del domingo, 1/11) Más de 9.000 millones de dólares a subsidios (More than $9 billion in subsidies) – Payment of subsidies in 2027 will be $9.071 billion which is 18.07% of the total budget of $50.213 billion. Subsidies for bonos, pensions, incentives, and social assistance will be $6.478 billion represent 71.41% of all subsidies. Most of the subsidies are for Social Security systems: IESS, ISSFA for the Armed Forces, and Isspol for the Policía Nacional. Subsidies for social development come to $2.002 billion and include bonos (payments to very low-income households), social pensions, and social assistance. Agricultural development subsidies come to $21.63 million, and Housing and Urban Development comes to $5.67 million. Subsidies for fuels (LPG, diesel, gas, Avgas, sulfur, asphalts) are budgeted at $2.593 billion which represents 28.59% of total subsidies.

(De El Mercurio del lunes, 2/11) Plataforma ‘Voto Informado’ (“Informed Vote” Platform) – The Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE) has set up the ‘Voto Informado’ site at www.cne.gob.ec and at the ‘CNE App’ mobile app which can be downloaded for free. The site will introduce voters to the candidates and their work plans as well as to the candidates for the CPCCS 2027 (Consejo de Participación Ciudadana y Control Social). You can go to the webpage, enter the province, canton and movement you want to review. You will see the candidates for prefects, mayors, city council members, and parish board members, and you can go to individual links to read their resumes and plans (campaign promises <which in Ecuador carry some kind of penalty if they’re not fulfilled>).

(De El Mercurio del lunes, 2/11) Jornada de movilizaciones (Days for protests) – The directors of the Unión Nacional de Educadores (UNE), the Frente Popular and other groups announced new protests against the Government of Pres. Daniel Noboa on the 7th and 15th of noviembre. Other protests on el 25/11 will be with feminist collectives for the Día Internacional de la Eliminación de la Violencia contra la Mujer and on el 10/12 for human rights. <This is a heads up if you want to join them, and also if you want to avoid them.>

(De El Mercurio del lunes, 2/11) SENAE incauta ropa usada (SENAE seizes used clothing) – The Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador (SENAE) with the Attorney General’s Office located a bodega to the north of Guayaquil which held 496 pacas (bales – your word for the day) of used clothing which is not allowed to be imported into the country. <Don’t want Ecuadorians getting any other country’s cooties. So what are all the monigotes going to wear on New Year’s Eve?> Also found were 49 sacks of pool cleaners, all of which was valued at $390,000. The past 12/8, SENAE found another bodega where it seized 650 bales of used clothes.
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