City plans electric bus service for universities; Google to digitalize Ecuador public records; Valentine flowers ship; Taste of Cuenca in Madrid; Beware the bujiazos
Jueves, 30/1/2025
Hola, Todos –
Actividades –
Exposición en homenaje a las ‘heraderas del tejido’ (Exhibition in homage to the ‘weaving heirs’) – The Casa de la Cultura opened the “Herencias Vivas del Tejido” exhibit which places value on the work of the craftswomen. Women of the Asociación “Don Bosco” in the main parish in Chordeleg and the Guel Parish in Sísgig are showing their hats in the Aceleradora Cultural (Luis Cordero 7-26).
Titular –
Lista la nueva armadura roja (New red armor is ready) – Deportiva Cuenca has new red uniforms.
Cuenca –
Ecuador’s Ángel Andreetta Foundation and Ecuagenera in Gualaceo will launch a new digital scientific journal “Andreettana,” dedicated to the research and conservation of the biodiversity of the tropical Andes. Here, editor and biologist Juan Pablo Martínez displays one of Ecuagenera’s flowering tropical plants. (El Mercurio)
Azuay sobresale con su gastronomía en Madrid (Azuay stands out with its cuisine in Madrid) – The attendees of the Feria Internacional re Turismo (FITUR) in the Madrid Fusión 2025 enjoyed dishes such as Cuencan hornado (roast pig) marinated with cocoa vinegar and llapingachos with a sambo seed and cocoa nibs costra (crust or scab or rind – the last word for the day). The tasting was offered by chef Gonzalo Amoroso from the Agroazuay business. The tourism fair which ran from el 19-22/1 is one of the most important in the world. Azuay received membership in the Red Mundial de Destinos de Turismo del Cacao y Derivados (World Network of Cocoa and Cocoa Derivatives Tourism Destinations). This membership allows Azuay and Ecuador to promote themselves as a cocoa producer with tourism experiences linked to this product.
De El Mercurio del miércoles, 29/1 (2 articles):
Hacia una movilidad con buses eléctronicos (Towards a mobility with electric buses) – One of the proposals of the City of Cuenca was signed yesterday with representatives of 4 universities in Cuenca. The intention is to gather information about the locations where students going to the different campuses will take the buses for a safe, fast, efficient, and effective connection. It is also being considered that the new routes will use electric buses. Pablo Carvallo, municipal director of Movilidad, said that the idea is to build an origin-destination matrix for the 35,000 some students and administrative personnel and establish tentative locations for bus stops where the majority of users are concentrated. Mayor Cristian Zamora said that if everything goes well, the new system will be functioning in one year with adequate routes and buses with pollution reducing technology. <But that’s if everything goes well. And when in most human experience has everything ever gone well?>
San Valentín ‘germina’ mercado de las flores (Valentine’s Day ‘germinates’ flower market) – From the Cabogana hill, the hortensias (hydrangeas) have become ambassadors from Ecuador to national and international markets, especially around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Women’s Day, and at social events. Bernardo Toral and Rosana Vega, owners of Hortensias Cabogana and Hortensias del Ecuador, succeeded in positioning themselves in spite of 2024 being marked by climate, logistical and economic adversities. However, they were able to export 500 boxes per month in 2024 with 70% of it going to the northeastern US. Toral mentioned they couldn’t penetrate the market in the SE part of the US which is dominated by Colombia.
With 5 hectares in production, Hortensias Cabogana expects to grow this year, and plans to send 70 boxes to Europe and Uruguay where quality is essential and the competition with countries such as Holland is intense. Their expansion will also include Russia and Eastern Europe, although the domestic market is contracting. Toral said that Cuenca is safe but insecurity in coastal cities has reduced social events, which directly affects flower sales.
From el 18/1, exportation of Ecuadorian flowers starts to fill Valentine’s Day demand. So far in enero, 3,106 tons have been exported, most going to the US and the EU. The logistics involve trucking the flowers from the growers to the Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre in Quito. where they are transferred to a cold room with temperatures between 2 & 8 C. to maintain freshness and quality, then getting them on a plane as quickly as possible. There were record exports for Valentine’s Day in 2024 with about 26,446 metric tons exported. This was a 173% increase over 2023. Eduardo Letort, president of Expoflores said that the flower sector of Ecuador, which is the 3d largest exporter worldwide, is planning to double its exports by 2035 to $2 billion.
Opinion –
De El Mercurio del miércoles, 29/1 (1 article):
Wednesday’s political cartoon is easy enough to describe – A caricature of a Venezuelan (maybe the guy who really won the election?) talking to Daniel Noboa in his beanie with the propeller on top, and sitting in a chair way too big for him like Lily Tomlin’s Edith Ann. The Venezuelan says: “In Venezuela we have 2 presidents.” Noboa answers, “That’s nothing. Here we have 4 vice presidents.”
Actualidad –
De El Mercurio del miércoles, 29/1 (2 articles):
Acuerdan la transformación digital de servicios públicos (Agreement for digital transformation of public services) – The Government of Ecuador signed an agreement with the US tech giant Google for a digital transformation of its public services. <Why do I feel a chill running down my back?> This transformation will include making appointments with the administration through AI and digitizing documents in the Registro Civil. The collaboration will allow modernizing services provided by the State and strengthen sectors such as health, education and security. The agreement was between Google Cloud and the government run Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT). This will also be a tool to prevent corruption. In this sense, more than 30 initiatives in different government entities will be implemented. During the signing, the manager of CNT, Roberto Kury, said the first actions will focus on using AI for an appointment reservation system for the IESS. <Those chills just turned into uncontrolled shivering. Fever will be next.> For the Government, the implementation of these technologies and systems in its public services will save between $9.5 and $16.5 billion in the next 5 years until 2030. <Right, because the system will never allow you to get an appointment, so you will die before getting treatment – maybe before you even get off hold, saving the government a lot of money. I think maybe the most appropriate thing to read right now would be “Confessions of an Economic Hitman.”>
Energía solar (Solar energy) – The Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC) announced it has started the paperwork to get permits and the license to build a new solar energy project in the Zapotillo canton in Loja. The project will have an installed capacity of 200 MW in a area of 322 hectares. The La Ceiba photovoltaic project is planning on installing more than 400,088 solar panels, capable of generating 396.8 gigawatt hours per year.
Sucesos –
Ciudadanos denuncian robos con modalidad del “bujiazo” (Citizens denounce “bujiazo” method robberies) – Citizens have warned about assaults against occupants of cars, especially women driving alone. They have occured at a.v. 12 de Abril and Edwin Sacoto, close to the Coliseo Jefferson Pérez. Others have reported the same type of assaults on av.12 de Abril and Unidad Nacional, also near the Coliseo. The thieves take advantage of people waiting for the light to change and use blunt instruments to break the car windows and grab items of value on the seats. This type of robbery is known as “bujiazo.” <That’s why you should always carry a load of dog poop in a bag from expensive store on the seat.> People reporting the crimes said sometimes the criminals flee on foot and sometimes on a motorcycle. Usually, the crimes are committed during rush hour between 19:00 and 20:00.
On Thursday night, Cuenca’s Guardia Ciudadana carried out an operation on 12 de Abril and other areas where the crimes have been committed. They evicted several homeless people from under two bridges and confiscated a number of items believed to have been stolen.
Suggestions to avoid this type of crime is not to leave objects such as purses, backpacks, phones, or portable computers in view or on car seats. Objects of value should be in the glove compartment or trunk. You can also install security films on the glass which make it harder to break the glass. This week, occupants of a motorcycle shot at a vehicle on av Loja. After this, the driver drove into the robbers. <My car is bigger than your gun, and you just pissed me off big time.> One got away and the other was arrested by police from the Unidad de Mantenimiento del Orden (UMO – Unit for Maintaining Order).
And that’s all for today so hasta nunca –
Jeanne
