Anti-government protest at the border, Tax and labor reforms proposed, San Fran Plaza food vendor eviction appealed, Oktoberfest continues

Viernes, 27/9/2019

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

Teatro – “Papakuna – Agrotreatro Cómico Musical, a comedic history of the potato, will be presented Friday in the teatro Pumapungo. The play developed in parallel with extensive research and points out the alarming loss of native seeds and agricultural biodiversity in general. The researchers went to Chimborazo which maintains the most varieties of potato in the country; and they interviewed campesinos, agronomists, anthropologists and musicologists to get a picture of the potato in all its dimensions – agricultural. historic, cultural, economic and political. <And don’t forget the dimensions of boiled, baked, steamed, roasted, fried, au gratin, Lyonnaise, tartiflette, frittata, torta, etc. I feel like Bubba Gump.>

Exposición – “Las Cruces,” an exhibit of crosses opened Friday in the Museo de los Metales (Solano 11-83). The crosses are of different materials and include rosaries with crosses.

The Chill & Chela celebration continues Saturday at the Oro Verde.

Concierto – The Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca performed works by 20th century Ecuadorian composer Corcino Durán and Brahms Friday in the Catedral Vieja. Duran’s unnamed work, baptized “Fantasía” by conductor Michael Meissner is a series of suites of dances and traditional rhythms. The orchestra will also play Brahms’ “Sinfonía No. 4 in mi menor, op. 98.

Festival de la Lira – The 7th Festival de la Lira poetry contest will be from 11-14/11 and is being organized. This year’s theme is “Juventud, esperanza, sueño, cambio, futuro” (Youth, hope, dream, change, future). <If the poets pay attention to Greta Thunberg, those poems could to be pretty grim.>

Del cuerpo del periodico –

Viernes Cultural Salesiano – The Salesian Cultural Friday paid tribute to the Pasillo. The Santa Catalina chorus and the Concertante Chorus of the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana performed Friday.

Reina de Cuenca 2019 – The 10 candidates selected from 16 applicants for the 2019 Queen of Cuenca were presented last night at the Mansión Vizcaya. The contest will be will 23 de octubre a las 19:00 in the treatro Carlos Cueva Tamaríz. <Sorry, guys, I don’t know if a swim suit competition is part of it.> 50% of the “points” are given for the social project that each candidate has to propose and accomplish if she wins.

Beer – Oktoberfest with Chill y Chela started Friday on the terrace of the Hotel Oro Verde and continues Saturday. It will end at 1:00 am. This feria will include 15 artisanal breweries, food, music all day and night, and more. There will be DJs and bands from 13:00 to 1:00. <If you can stay up that late. You might have to if you live in the Palermo.>

Otras cosas –

Titular – Patentes rendirán USD 9 millones (Patents will yield USD 9 million) – Thousands of recipients were notified via email to pay taxes due to the Municipality. The email was sent to 88,000 entities with RUCs issued by SRI. Many of the recipients had no idea they owed these taxes which apply to natural and legal persons, and national or foreign societies that engage in commercial, industrial, financial, real estate and professional activities. <So if you got a notice from the city – this is what is was about.> The amount of the tax will run from $10 to $10,000 <$0 if you’re operating underground and illegally.> Taxes for natural persons are due between abril y julio, and you can pay at the Tesorería in City Hall. Interest applies to taxes paid after that window. Legal persons pay depending on the 9th digit of their RUC.

150 years of service – On 11/10/1869, the religious orders Lazaristas y las Hijas de la Caridad signed a contract to take charge of hospitals in Guayaquil y Quito. When they arrived in Ecuador, they were entrusted with similar work in Cuenca at the Conferencia San Vicente de Paúl. For 150 years, the sisters have rescued and/or taken care of orphans, the elderly and sick. Currently they serve at Miguel León in the historic district which houses 22 girls and young ladies and 3 boys as well as 50 adultos mayores. They also run the Daniel Hermida school. Their work will be celebrated Saturday a las 8:30 with a march starting at San Blas along Bolívar to the cathedral for a mass at 10:30.

Higher current expenses at Universities – The Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas reported that universities are budgeted to receive $1.464 billion this year in spite of austerity measures. Most of this amount is for current expenses such as salaries and purchases of goods and services, and almost nothing for investments.

Protesta en Carchi – Security and military forces controlled anti-government protests in Carchi Province, on the border with Colombia. Tear gas was used on the mostly young and student demonstrators. The protest are about lack of employment and lack of government support to assist with the town’s large number of Venezuelan refugees.

Food vendors in Plaza San Francisco – The Dirección de Mercados y Comercio Autónomo notified the vendors of prepared food for the 3d time that they have 19 days to leave the plaza or be removed by the Guardia Ciudadana (Policía Municipal). A judge disagreed with the notice because the vendors would have to leave their place of business and return the carts which were given to them by the previous administration, leaving them without a source of income <I think this violates the right to make a living <legal living, that is>. Better get over there and get your ceviche before the ceviche lady winds up at some unknown market.>

Tax, monetary and labor reforms – Changes to tax, monetary and labor reforms will be presented to the Asamblea este lunes. This is the last day the Government has to present the reforms according the agreement with the IMF which will not release its 3d payment until its technical team can analyze tax reforms. The labor reforms will incorporate more forms of employment which will generate more hiring. <Gig economy – coming soon to Ecuador.> Monetary reforms have to do with the autonomy of the Banco Central de Ecuador, the composition of its board, and recomposing its balance <is that some financial jargon? Or is this just a way to put IMF people in charge of the Banco Central?>, and the powers of control of the Superintendencia de Bancos and the Economía Popular y Solidaria.

Tax exemptions <don’t get too excited – this probably affects only a handful of you readers> – Tax exemptions for commercial and public transport vehicles will be given under a new schedule. License plates ending with 1 & 2 will be served los lunes y martes, plates ending in 3 & 4 on martes, 5 & 6 on miércoles, 7 / 8 on jueves, and 9 & 0 on viernes.

Census – Registering Venezuelans to regularize their stay in Ecuador started ayer and will continue until 31/3/2020. Venezuelans, including children and youth, will need to register in order to get a humanitarian visa to stay in Ecuador. The first step will be to register on line with their personal information and fingerprints, and the second will be a personal interview. <Hint to the groups helping Venezuelans – maybe provide internet access for this purpose. If you’re homeless and broke, how do you get internet?>

New species – Scientists are studying 13 possible new species in the Napo River basin including 9 frogs, 1 spider, 2 ants, 4 bats, and 2 fish species.

Descuentos y compras –

Jacome & Ortiz – Gran Feria Navideña 2019 with new stuff, special discounts, and promotions – 27-28-29/9, 10-20:00 – Edificio Jácome y Ortiz de Comercio, 4th floor – Av. de las Américas y Juan Larrea.

RM – Días COOL – New collection of T-shirts for $5.00 – last 3 days.

ETAFASHION – until 30/9 – no payments until enero, 2020. <The consumer society has come to Cuenca.>

MUMUSO -Grand opening – 28/9 a las 4:30 in Monay Shopping – <The graphics looks like it might be children’s stuff or maybe just stuff that will be here today and gone tomorrow.>

And that’s all for today so la Hasta la próxima semana –

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. The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.