Blackouts are reduced; Government audits electric bills, delays payments; Amusement park opens for the holidays; Cuenca man pursues legal euthanasia

Domingo, 20/10/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

El Discovery tiene 14 juegos mecánicos y ferias paralelas (Discovery has 14 mechanical games and parallel fairs) – Fairs and entertainment spaces have already started in Cuenca for its 204th Independence celebration. One of the first is the Expo Feria Virgen del Cisne and the Discovery amusement park which opened last viernes in the Ciudadela Kennedy. At the fair the public can see crafts <What do you want to bet that if you turn them upside down, they’ll all say “Made in China?”>, a variety of products, and local and Ecuadorian food. Iván Peralta, the Expo Feria 2024 coordinator, said there are generators for lighting and the rides. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children, and $2 for the disabled and seniors. <Because how many of you seniors are in the mood to be flung into the air, turned upside down, and/or spun around? Discovery will run until el 4/11 with hours from 15:00 – 23:00.

The Expo Feria Virgen del Cisne and the Discovery amusement park opened last viernes in the Ciudadela Kennedy. The park will remain open through the Cuenca holidays. (El Mercurio)

De el Mercurio del viernes, 18/10 (1 article):
Farra (fiesta) concierto en el Jorge Andrade Cantos (Farra concert in Jorge Andrade Cantos) – The “I love 80 & 90” concert will be el 31/10 a las 20:00 in the Jorge Andrade Cantos stadium in Azogues. The midfield will be converted into a mega discoteque with the best of Latin, gringo and tropical genres. The program will include the Argentine band Soda Infinito which will interpret the music of Soda Stereo and Gustavo Cerati. Tickets cost $20.00 and can be ordered on Whatsapp +0994136286, at https://wa.me/593994136286, and on line at www.meet2go.com/ev/ilove8090cue24.

Titular –

Sufrido, pero justo empate (A hard-fought, but fair tie) – Cuenca tied Mushuc Runa in Latacunga with a last minute goal.

De el Mercurio del sábado, 19/10 (1 article):
Dudas por reducción gradual de apagones (Doubts about gradual reduction of blackouts) – Starting lunes, blackouts will be reduced from 10 to 8 hours; during the week of 28/10 they will be 6 hours, and from 4/10 they will be only for 4 hours. This was announced by Pres. Noboa as a way to compensate Ecuadorians for the sacrifices they have made in the last few weeks. <He’s got a special conduit to Mother Nature? She’s promised him lots of rain?> However, the President has not specified the technical support which will allow reducing the blackouts. <Lo siento, peque, but wishful thinking does not create more electricity.> A reduction in blackouts without the technical support could bring the country right back to 10-hour cuts.

Energy expert Darío Dávalos said reducing the blackout hours depends on 3 technical requirements: torrential rains in the Paute area, installation of new thermal energy units, or Colombia reversing its decision to sell energy to Ecuador. The Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (Inamhi) made it clear that an increase in rain to increase river flows is highly improbable. Guillermo Flores, a forecasting analyst, said that even if the dry season gives way during the week of 21-27/10, it will be gradual. If rains increase they will not be in sufficient amounts for the reservoirs. He said not to expect increases in rain for the week of el 28/10. Even if there’s more rain nationally which could help the plants on the Rio Paute, it won’t be enough to improve the reservoirs.

And in noviembre, we should expect less rain since that’s the start of the dry season. What’s most likely is more rain in the Coca Codo Sinclair area. Energy expert Jorge Luis Hidalgo said that of the 341 megawatts the president announced he is adding, only 85 MW that the power barge is intermittently producing is in operation with the rest to be installed in noviembre y diciembre. He hoped that the President has information we don’t. <So we’re back to wishful thinking, prayer, and magic.>

Cuenca –

De el Mercurio del sábado, 19/10 (2 articles):
Corredores de conservación (Conservation corridors) – The Mongabay Latam portal published a special that documents 5 biological corridores that are keys to the survival of the pampas cat, pumas, ocelots, jaguars, and oncillas. Research revealed that to protect the Leopardus garleppi or pampas cat, an Andean-Amazonian transboundary conservation corridor between Peru and Ecuador needs to be implemented with an area of 2 million hectars that extends from Azuay and Zamora Chinchipe to Piura and Cajamarca in Peru.

Sello de clausura en chifa por detectarse cucarachas (Chifa closed after cockroaches found) – <And no, in spite of what you might think that Chinese eat that you won’t, cockroaches are not on the menus.> The Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) closed a chifa in the north of Cuenca because of the presence of cockroaches and the absence of hygiene. ARCSA inspected the restaurant after getting a complaint from a diner who found a cockroach in a sweet sauce. <Sweet and sour chicken with a garnish of insect?> The technicians found an infestation of roaches, next to cooked rice, fresh salad, precooked seafood, and more foods. When they moved the refrigerating equipment, large and small cockroaches scurried for cover. The amount of excrement formed a thin black layer on the floor. On the shelf where the finished dishes were placed before serving, cockroaches were found between the cracks. According to the Ley Orgánica de la Salud (LOS), these health risks can be sanctioned with fines of 10 SBUs or $4,650.00

De el Mercurio del viernes, 18/10 (1 article):
Iván tiene cáncer terminal y solicita recibir eutanasia (Ivan has terminal cancer and is asking to be euthanized) – Iván Cajamarca Déleg, a builder and real estate entrepreneur, started the process to be legally euthanized. He passed the psychological test and is waiting for the psychiatric evaluation. He is the 1st Cuencano to make his wish for an assisted death public since the Corte Costitucional del Ecuador (CCE) recognized the right to euthanasia el 7 de febrero, 2024. Iván wants to complete the legal process by diciembre of this year.

He was diagnosed with cancer in julio, 2023 after persistent pain in his waist and arm as well as suffering from recurrent physical discomfort. His cancer started in a spinal bone just above the tailbone where exams showed una bola (a ball – your word for the day) 10 cm. in diameter. He resisted the idea that he had cancer but it advanced until he couldn’t walk. That was a devastating blow since he was an athlete and mountain climber. At first he received alternative medical treatment through biomagnetism combined with serums and pills which didn’t stop the disease. After that, he underwent chemo which allowed him to return to sports at a less intensive level. Then he went through a new process of more aggressive chemotheraphy to attack the lymphomas directly since the cancer had metastasized and affected the pancreas. After that his doctor told him the chemo wasn’t working and all that was left was palliative treatment to have a dignified death with minimal pain.

Iván has a list of 20 items he wants to do before he dies: go on the double decker tourist bus, dance with a banda de pueblo, spend more time with his mother, write a book, and give a talk, among other things. For him it is a necessity to tear down or at least question a series of religious and social beliefs about his death. There is nothing better than to live under principles of coherence, love, peace, joy, he believes.

Nacional –

De el Mercurio del viernes, 18/10 (1 article):
Suspenden planillas de septiembre (September bills suspended) – Because of complaints by ratepayers about the increase in electric bills in spite of blackouts of up to 10 hours, the Government decided to temporarily suspend payment of light bills for septiembre while it reviews the amounts billed. It has started the process of auditing the values and the possible anomalies customers are complaining about. So shutting off electricity due to non payment will not be done until the process is complete. Also, if users already paid their bills and do not agree with the amount they paid, they can make their claims at the electricity distributors in the country.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne