Corruption fugitive stays in Miami; Cool weather forecast until September; Water shut-off to affect 40% of city; Neighborhood crime alerts

Jul 28, 2020 | 20 comments

Lunes, 27/7/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Nada.

Otras cosas –

Titular – La vía Cuenca-Déleg-Azugues, intransitable (The Cuenca-Déleg-Azogues road, impassable) – This road is one of the alternatives to get from Azuay to Cañar and is in bad condition. Users complain that it is full of baches (potholes) and hundimientos (sunken spots). The Panamericana bus cooperative has even patched potholes in critical stretches on its own account. <Must be bad if the cost of road work is less then the cost of bus repairs.> In Azuay, prefecto Yaku Pérez announced pothole repairs, and prefecto Bayron Pacheco of Cañar said there is an promise from MTOP to finish improving the Déleg-Azogues stretch.

It’s cold and wet in Cuenca. (El Mercurio)

Weather report – Cold temperatures are forecasted to stay in Cuenca and Azuay until septiembre. Adrián Proaño, a climate researcher said this cold wave is unusual and that the rain since the end of last month is also not normal. He said this is evidence of climate change as well as a product of atmospheric conditions allowing the entrance of large amount of cloudiness. In agreement is Marcelo Morales who is part of a research project that installed CAXX radars in the parque Nacional Cajas to take meteorological measurements of the south of Ecuador. The project is also taking sediment samples to reconstruct the climate in this area over the past 2,000 years. This is all to learn about climate variability worldwide to determine the impact humans have had. Morales also said that the temperatures in Cuenca in 2019 & 2020 haven’t been felt in at least 30 years and there have been days with temperatures below zero C. Lorena Neira, environmental engineer, thought that parishes in the south of Cuenca such as Tarqui, Turi, and Victoria del Portete will repeat the last three years with capas de hielo (ice sheets/frost?) forming on pastures and other green areas. <Time to dig out those heavy sweaters. Or buy one if you moved here believing the “land of eternal spring” hype. Whoever wrote that must have lived in Alamosa, Colo. or International Falls, Minn.>

Neighborhood investment in safety – Neighbors in Phases 2 & 3 of the Río Sol development invested in a system of security cameras which are being monitored by 56 families. They also have 5 programs on their phones – 2 internal and 3 alerts. Residents can turn on alarms with different sounds, and when neighbors hear the one for a robbery, they can start monitoring the cameras. The system, which is tied into the ECU-911 and the police station, can also be used to alert people to fires or medical emergencies.

Government debt – Ecuador’s national debt is 71% external and 29% internal. The main components of the external debts are to other countries and to bondholders. 14 other countries are owed with the Peoples’ Republic of China the main creditor with $5.427 billion representing 13% of the total external debt. The interest rates on the loans are mostly between 5.1 & 8%. Bonds as of junio, 2020 totaled $18.997 billion representing 45% of total debt. These debts are with conditions unfavorable to Ecuador with 65% of the bonds at rates over 8.1% and 31% at rates between 5.1 & 8.1%. These rates are much higher than those negotiated by neighboring countries. <But how many of those countries have defaulted on external debt recently?>

Hospital corruption fugitive – Dalo Bucaram, the son of ex-president Abdalá Bucaram, is staying in Miami. On 13/6, an arrest warrant for investigative purposes was issued for Dalo, his wife, and his brother. <They can move next door to the Isaias brothers.>

From the weekend’s papers –

Viernes –

Water shut off for 55,000 users – Water service to about 55,000 customers will be temporarily shut off on el miércoles, 29/7 and el jueves, 30/7. This is so that a new supply pipe can be connected to the Tixán treatment plant, doubling its capacity and insuring water service until 2035. They will also use the shut off to clean reservoirs and water mains. The shut off will affect 40% of the area of the city – everything east of Huayna Capac. This area includes 10 health centers including the José Carrasco Arteaga, IESS, del Río, and Del Niño y la Mujer hospitals, and clínica La Paz and la Clínica de Fracturas. The health institutions will be supplied with tanker trucks if needed. The airport, Industrial Park, and Cementerio Municipal are also in this area. ETAPA officials recommended stocking up on enough water for cooking and cleaning at least 1 day ahead. After the shut off, you should turn on the taps and let them run for a while to flush out impurities. On el jueves, 30, the tankers will go through the area to supply houses where restoration of service is delayed. Delays are due to level changes in various areas, and it will be the highest sites experiencing delays. <That’s a price you pay for living at the top of the hill. Also remember that this was in Friday’s paper and might change. I just can’t believe that a prediction 5 days into the future would be reliable in this country. Half a mountain might fall on that new water main tomorrow.>

Domingo – <This is for whoever asked for the number to call to report animal abuse.> To report abuse to the Comisión de Gestión Ambiental de Cuenca, call 413 4900, ext. 1650. Leave your name, phone number, a brief description of the abuse and a location. Your data will be kept private.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne

CuencaHighLife

Dani News

Google ad

Hogar Esperanza News

The Cuenca Dispatch

Week of March 24

“They are pressuring me to resign so they can remove me from office,” denounced Verónica Abad, Vice President of the Republic.

Read more

Ecuador Navigates Economic Challenges with IMF Agreement Looming.

Read more

“Since when does thinking differently mean being a traitor?” Pierina Correa questions in reference to the Tourism Law.

Read more

Amazon Eco lodge News

Property 3br News

Fund Grace News

Google ad