Carnaval provided big boost for tourism; Molleturo residents complain of isolation; Name the baby condor; Wild fox captured in local mercado

Jueves, 3/3/2022

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Titular – Molleturo pide no aislarla (Molleturo asks not to be isolated) – People in various communities in Molleturo parish are asking for an adequate emergency plan so they won’t be isolated from Cuenca. The road is closed to vehicular traffic at km 49, but authorities of the Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas (MTOP) in Zone 6 announced they will provide a pedestrian passage for emergencies. <Someone is going to start a business – van service at each end, and people will walk between the vans to get either to Cuenca from Guayaquil or vice versa.> Residents are proposing some sort of tarabita or cable car to bridge the closure.

CTE will maintain permanent traffic controls, especially at the “Y” of Sayausí and the Jesús María sector. They will also have monticulos (mounds or piles – your word for the day) of dirt art km 48 and 52 to keep vehicles from driving through km. 49. <You know that without those piles of dirt, some idiot will try get through in a car.>

Cuenca –

Health authorities are advising residents to dispose of used face masks properly. (El Mercurio)

Piden “conciencia” al desechar mascarillas (“Awareness” called for when discarding masks) – Alhough the COE has announced the possibility of discontinuing mask use in abril o mayo depending on levels of positivity and vaccinations, currently, they are still essential. Unfortunately, too many are being discarded in public spaces such as streets and parks which can expose others to possible infections.

Wolfram Palacios, general manager of EMAC EP said masks should be put in black bags and left for normal garbage collection. People infected with Covid should follow another protocol. Their masks should go into a bag along with other waste from the infected person and their caregiver <like all those used Kleenexes, paper napkins, TP> and that bag placed in another black garbage bag for general household waste. The double bagging minimizes the risk of infection to those who handle and process the garbage.

58,500 turistas visitaron Cuenca en el Feriado (58,500 tourists visited Cuenca during the holiday) – At a press conference, the Mayor said that over 58,000 people went to the different public events arranged by the Alcaldía de Cuenca in the “Carnaval Cuarto Ríos” agenda. There were about 18,000 people at the “Jueves de Compadres y Comadres,” and between 15,000 & 25,000 people the Carnaval Cuatro Ríos parade. Hotels were at 71% occupancy. From 25/2 to 1/3, there were 16 traffic accidents and 24 people apprehended – 18 for driving drunk and another 6 for not having documents. 150 Guardias Ciudadanos were deployed to different areas to provide control in public spaces, support citizen safety, control unauthorized sales in public spaces, and advise tourists. $17 million flowed into Cuenca in the last 2 weeks, $14 from Carnaval and $3 million from the Tour de Francia.

Nombres para el cóndor nacido en Cuenca (Names for the condor hatched in Cuenca) – A baby cóndor was hatched on el 24/2 at the Amaro Bioparque in Cuenca to Pacha and Inty. There were around 800 suggestions for names on his Facebook Fanpage at El Mercurio including Morlaquito, Ukrania, Condorito, Valentín, Pachamama, Roble, Renacer, Paz, Inti, Sumaq and INPA. <No one suggested Big Bird?> Ernesto Arbeláez, director of the Amaru Bioparque Cuenca <Has it stopped being a zoo? Is zoo now a politically incorrect term?> said condors are in critical danger of extinction, mainly due to human causes. The chick’s birth is a landmark in the preservation of this species. The first few hours and days were critical since the baby’s survival depended on how the parents acted. Ideally, the little cóndor will develop habits that will allow its release into the wild. <And hopefully it won’t be shot by some gonzo with more ego than sense.>

Rascate animal (animal rescue) – El último lunes, a zorro de Sechura (lycalopex secrrae – fox) was rescued at the El Arenal mercado. Vendors noticed the fox walking around and hiding from people who were following it. Guardia Ciudadana agents called the Unidad de Protección de Medio Ambiente (UPMA – Environmental Protection Unit) and Policía Nacional. The police were told that it could have been an animal brought for sale which is the crime of trafficking in wildlife.

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