Blackouts are ‘worse than the pandemic’ for small businesses; 200 events in six days highlight Cuenca holidays; Mansión Matilde competes for ‘best taste’
Martes, 21/10/2024
Hola, Todos –
Actividades
De El Mercurio del lunes, 21/10 (1 article):
Presentan agenda festiva en medio de cuestionamientos (Festival agenda presented amidst questioning) – The agenda for the celebrations of the Independence of Cuenca was launched today. This was done in the midst of questions about the processes for contracting artists and events by council members. Councilwoman Diana González denounced 2 citizens as recurring winners of contracts for these events. <There are favorites? Isn’t that how public contracting everywhere works – you get contracts if you can demonstrate experience? And you get experience if you’ve got palanca (also known as an inside track)?>
Titular –
The agenda for Cuenca’s independence holidays lists 200 events over a six-day period.
Renacemos (We are reborn) <Nothing to do with religion and being born again>
Diario El Mercurio: un siglo de periodismo (El Mercurio: a century of journalism) – El Mercurio was founded el 22 de octubre, 1924. This milestone was commemorated today at the “Encuentro Internacional sobre Libertad e Expresión y Periodismo de Investigación” (International Meeting on Freedom of Expression and Investigative Journalism) and various associations and politicians congratulated the paper. A book by Gustavo Landívar, “100 años historia gráfica de Cuenca a través de diario El Mercurio” is available for sale for $23 at all the agencies of the paper. The book collects some of the main news stories published by the paper with photos that are part of the heritage of the city. <Sounds like interesting reading for all of us interested in local history.>
200 eventos para las fiestas (200 events for the holidays) – There will be 6 days of massive events with international concerts, the traditional ‘Huaynacapazo,’ and the ‘Noches cuencanas’ for the commemoration of 204 years of the Independence of Cuenca. The city has invested $1.5 million for the celebrations which will take place in the stadium, parks, plazas, riverbanks and streets.
The shows will start el próximo miércoles, 30/10 a las 20:00 in the parque Curiquingue in Totoracocha with a concert featuring Los Ilegales from the Dominican Republic, Los Adolescentes from Venezuela and local talent Daniel Vélez. El jueves, 31/10 a las 20:00 in the parque de La Libertad, Colombian artist Paola Jara will perform with the Los Búfalos group and Yo me llamo Jessi Uribe. The same night in the parque San Sebastián there will be a Jazz and Blues concert. The ‘Huaynacapaz’ event will be el viernes, 1/11 a las 19:00 along av. Huayna Cápac. This will be special since there are 4 stages each presenting international artists and groups from the same country. The 1st stage will be Colombian, the 2nd Venezuelan, the 3d Peruvian, and the 4th Ecuadorian. For el sábado, el 2/11 a las 20:00 in the “Alejandro Serrano Aguilar” stadium will be a concert by the Colombian group Piso 21, Panamanian Aldo Ranks and Cuencano Javier Neira. Tickets are available at branches of the Red Municipal de Farmacias Solidarias (Farmasol EP) through an exchange — a ticket in exchange for buying non-perishable products to assemble kits to be given to vulnerable families.
El domingo, 3/11 a las 14:00 in the parque Jacaranda, there will be alternative music from Papá Chango, Los Zuchos del Vado, La Colmena, Santa Muerte and more. El lunes, 4/11 a las 20:00 on the av. Paseo de los Cañaris (Ciudadela Álvarez) there will be a vallenato show with Luis Mateus and others. Starting el 31/11, the Municipio will also arrange the ‘Noches Cuencanas’ with mostly local performers. The events will be in the Convención del 45, Uncovía, Banco de la Vivienda, y María Auxiliadora barrios. <El lunes, 4/11 is also a holiday. You can make good use of that to recover from all the celebrating that you had energy for in the 5 previous days and nights. Or if you’re as old as I am, you can quit celebrating on the 1st and use the rest of the holiday to recuperate.>
De El Mercurio del lunes, 21/10 (1 article):
Sobreviviendo a oscura (Surviving in darkness) – The small business sector is experiencing low sales, changing hours, increasing costs, and insecurity due to the blackouts. Carlota Vélez of “El Pan de Las Villacís” said this is worse than the pandemic when they could still produce and found ways to deliver their products. Now she can’t work. She said that her staff starts work at 01:00 to take advantage of the available hours of electricity, but that means additional pay for night work. She loses about $100 a day and has increased costs of primary materials such as corn and fruit. She can’t raise prices or customers won’t buy. Eduardo Jiménez, president of the Asociación Nacional de Panificadores (National Association of Bakers) said that if the blackouts continue, many businesses will close, increasing unemployment in the country. Franklin Pintado, a tailor for 15 years, called the situation “casi insostenible” (almost unsustainable – your words for the day) since the tools of his trade need electricity. <Unless he gets himself a customer base of international millionaires who would pay thousands for a handstitched suit.> He said sales have decreased by 60% and the trend is getting worse because people prioritize basic necessities over clothing.
The current situation is like during the pandemia when many tradespeople had to close their stores. However, now there is demand, but no way to fulfill it without power. The situation is similar in the beauty sector. Johanna Ochoa, a salon owner, said her clientele has been reduced by more than 50%. Camilo Valencia, who owns a barber shop, expressed her worries. Electricity goes off in the day and comes back on at night when they don’t work. In addition, the blackout hours change. She considered getting a generator, but the prices were between $800-900 plus the cost of gas, and she was told they wouldn’t be available for another 2 months.
Cuenca –
De El Mercurio del lunes, 21/10 (3 articles):
Van 101 días de sequía hidrológica en Cuenca (101 days of drought in Cuenca) – El lunes saw 101 days of drought, meaning that in that period, there were no heavy, consecutive rains. As of domingo, ETAPA’s Red Hidrometeorológica showed 3 of the 4 rivers at extremely low flows: 1.08 cubic meters per second for the Tomebamba, .98 for the Tarqui, and 1.11 for the Machángara. The Yanuncay is low at 1.51 c.m./sec. <And please pay attention to this.> ETAPA is asking everyone to conserve water to avoid rationing.>
Mansión Matilde, nominada a los Premios Taste Ecuador (Mansión Matilde, nominated for the Taste of Ecuador Awards) – Mansión Matilde was nominated in the “Pambamesa” category of the Premios Taste Ecuador, an acknowledgement that puts value on the country’s best gastronomy. The nomination highlights the restaurant for fusing local culinary tradition with contemporary techniques, using autochthonous products in creative and innovative combinations. To support the restaurant, go to the Taste Ecuador page and vote for it. <Or better yet, make a reservation and try it. They have a nice English afternoon tea.>
Se anuncian participantes de la Feria “ArtCue 2024” (ArtCue 2024” Fair participants are announced) – The Dirección de Cultura announced the list of artists, galleries, collectives and institutions that will form part of the Feria de Arte de Cuenca “ArtCue 2024,” an event showcasing local and national art. The Fair will be in the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno from el 1-4/11. The meeting will unite creaters and collectives from Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Santo domingo de los Tsáchilas y Saraguro who will present a wide variety of artistic expressions.
And that’s all for today so hasta ? –
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 (please don’t ask her for them). If information is incorrect, it is the responsibility of El Mercurio. The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.
