City wants to eliminate child begging; Migration to the U.S. drops dramatically; Four companies bid on Cajas highway work; Earthquake risk is considered

Martes, 30/11/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Nada.

Titular –

Lluvias inundan la ruta tranviaria (Rains flood the tram route) – The heavy rain Monday afternoon caused flooding in different zones such as Feria Libre, Camino del Tejar, av. Ordóñez Lasso, San Miguel de Putushi, Sayausí, the U. of Azuay and others. The tranvía was affected by flooding in the north-south lane of av. Las Américas and had to stop until firefighters could remove the rain water. Firefighters also rescued a vehicle that got trapped on av. 24 de Mayo near UDA. Houses were flooded along av. Ordóñez Lasso and in the Santa María and La Libertad sectors of Sayausí.

Cuenca –

Ecuadorian migrants are held at a processing center in Mexico in July.

Investigan epicentros registrados en sismos históricos de Cuenca (Investigation of epicenters recorded in historic earthquakes in Cuenca) – In 2002, the Red Sísmica del Austro (RSA – Southern Seismic Network) did a study on the vulnerability and seismic risk in Cuenca, and determined that the critical source is the geological fault in Girón which could generate a 7.1 magnitude quake. At that time, the RSA found that there were 64,200 masonry and concrete houses and edificios, 60% of which did not conform to earthquake resistant construction codes for strong quakes. They concluded that 60% of the houses could be destroyed by a quake on the Girón fault. <Sleep well tonight. If you’ve never experienced an earthquake, they can feel like a heavy truck going by, or the dog jumping on the bed.>

Baja migración; se reactiva ruat por mar (Low migration; reactivation of sea route) – Irregular migration to the US from Ecuador dropped dramatically in the last couple of months from over 17,000 each month in julio y agosto to 7,419 in septiembre. According to William Murillo, of 1800 Migrante, the drop was due to México returning to a visa requirement for Ecuadorians after not requiring visas from 11/2018 to 9/2021. Guatemala, which was also used by coyotes to transport Ecuadorians, also started requiring visas on 20/9.

Coyotes are now offering to take people to Guatemala by boat and then by land through México and to the US. The cost is at least $20,000. <Seems like it would cost less to get on a south to north leg of a South American cruise. But then all the paperwork which is the problem to begin with.>

Colocan un collar a tapir (Tapir collared) – Researchers put a collar on an andean tapir last weekend. El Mijín is the first tapir in the Cordillera Occidental de los Andes to be collared. The satellite tracker will provide important environmental information which will be used to plan conservation areas and protection for these large mammals. This tapir is exceptional since its population is the only one that inhabits this side of South America and has a very small range.

Political cartoon – The image is of a Covid virus wearing a Santa hat labelled Ómicron and writing a list. An off panel voice asks, “What do you want for Christmas, Mr. New Variant?” And Ómicron answers, “Antivaxxers and the unvaccinated.” <My advice to Mr. Ómicron is there are a lot more of those in the US than down here.>

Cuenca busca erradicar la mendicidad infantil (Cuenca seeks to eradicate child begging) – The city of Cuenca launched a new campaign, “Cuenca sin Mendicidad Infantil,” to eliminate begging by children. Fernanda Pinas, responsible for the Vida project, said there are 421 families who are in a situation of begging. 23 of those family groups have children and teens who represent about 70 children on the street. 20% of the 421 families are Ecuadorian, mainly from Gualaceo, Paute, Chimborazo and Cotopaxi), and 80% are in movement, mainly from Venezuela, Colombia and Haiti. The campaign divides the city into 5 zones: plazas and parks, north of the Centro Histórico, south of the Centro Histórico, north of Cuenca, and south of Cuenca. The approach will first be preventive, and will bring food to these families. If they continue to beg <and what other non-criminal alternative would there be with jobs so scarce?>, other protocols would be activated including taking the minors to a shelter for 72 hours. More than 26 public and private institutions will help to give the children and teens aid.

Region –

MTOP denuncia sabotaje en vía (MTOP denounces road sabotage) – MTOP reported sabotage at km. 49 of the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme to the Azuay Prosecutor’s Office ayer. The report was of a group of 10-15 people spraying a lot of water on the high part of the slope with irrigation hoses in order to cause rock slides. These same people placed explosives el pasado domingo. El pasado viernes, an MTOP inspector was the victim of aggression when he went to the top part of the slope. Two people stole his phone. He made a separate complaint. Luis Mario Barsallo, MTOP undersecretary of Zone 6, said that there are audios, photos, videos and technical information to support the complaint.

4 empresas intresadas en contrato para km 49 (4 companies interested in km 49 contract) – MTOP announced that there are 4 companies interested in the contract to stabilize the slope at km 49 of the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme. The companies are being evaluated for their qualifications and economic ability to carry out the project which is valued at about $5.8 million with a construction period of 4 months. The work will be to construct two berms with a crowning ditch, a dynamic barrier and moving the road to allow for a retention area next to the roadway. The relocated roadway will be built first to allow vehicles to pass, although there will be scheduled suspensions of traffic.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne