Covid cases drop but officials urge caution; Many holiday events will be online; Prostitution protest threatens to block tram; ‘Terrorism’ conviction

Jueves, 22/10/2020

Hola, Todos –
Actividades –

De la pagina cultural –

128 actos en agenda del Bicentenario (128 events on the Bicentennial agenda) – Mayor Palacios presented the agenda for the 200th anniversary of independence yesterday. There are 128 events, over 50 of them virtual, from 23/10 to 6/12. Most of the virtual events are talks on the theme of the Bicentenario. The in-person events have limited capacity. The most significant are the sesión solemne on the afternoon of 3/11, 2 concerts with admission only with complimentary passes, the inauguration of the memorial Obelisk for COVID-19 victims, and the inauguration of the Centro Diurno del Adulto Mayor (Day Center for the Elderly).

Check below for the agenda events through 24/11. I will list the events 3 days ahead of the event until 3/12/10. There will be more or less daily issues of Jeanne’s Periodico with the agenda items and limited news articles (if any).

Otras cosas –

Titular – Precaución ante posible violencia (Caution against possible violence) – See article in today’s CHL for story.

Cuenca health workers were among the groups in Thursday’s protests.

Un campesino es condenado por ‘terrorista’ (A campesino is convicted as a ‘terrorist’) – The sentencing of Víctor Guaillas to 5 years and a fine of $4,800 for sabotage leaves doubts. On 17/10/2019, community members of Molleturo went to the lower part of the province where there were altercados (altercations – your word for the day because it’s one of those that’s very much like the English word) with the Transit police that left a patrol car damaged and two motos burned. Guaillas was assigned a public defender who could not prove he wouldn’t be a flight risk so he was jailed during the investigations which were delayed by the coronavirus. He was released in late sepiembre when the maximum incarceration for prisión preventiva expired. During the trial, there was no material evidence that Guaillas was the one who damaged the vehicles. The only witnesses were the police who arrested him, and out of a group of about 50 people, identified him as carrying a container, presumably of gas, which was not presented as evidence. <So it could have been a container of cooking oil or milk or Kool-aid.> He was arrested when he slid off a vehicle which was carrying protestors and not when the motorcycles were burned. His story was in the report “Verdad, Justicia y Reparación” (Truth, Justice and Reparation) which was signed by 18 human rights organizations. <So does the gringo community think he was railroaded because he was an easy target? Or was he on his way to do mischief anyway.>

COE pide mantener la prevención por COVID (COE asks to maintain COVID prevention) – In spite of the statistics showing decreases in infections after a peak in septiembre, the Cuenca COE is asking citizens to keep up with preventive measures so that there will be no increase in cases in the coming weeks. The COE maintained measures such as restrictions on driving after 23:00 and no in-person activities in schools. At the moment, hospital care has not collapsed and there are ICU beds in nearby centers such as Azogues to meet the demand. Iván Feicán, the manager of the Vicente Corral Moscoso hospital said that there are occasionally free beds, but he can’t say when they’ll be free. He explained that patients are often disconnected from ventilators but kept in the bed so they can be re-intubated if needed. Most of the patients are from 19-45 years, the population most exposed to meetings and aglomeraciones.

En el Azuay, 13,615 serán parte de la JRV (In Azuay, 13,615 will be part of the JRV) – The CNE in Azuay said that to date, about 8,000 businesses in the 15 cantons have submitted their lists of personnel which will be used to select the members of the Juntas Receptoras del Voto (JRV – Vote Receiving Boards – poll workers?). 10,000 public and private institutions were asked to submit lists of their employees. 13,615 people, at least 82% of them university students, will be picked between 9/11 & 24/12. JRV members will be notified by 30/10 and will receive training from 17/11 to 7/2/2021. If a JRV member doesn’t show up, the fine will be 15% of the SBU or $60. If they don’t vote, the fine is $40 for a total of $100. You can be excused if you show proof (a doctor’s certificate) of a physical impediment <Does the inability to speak Spanish count as a physical impediment?>; a domestic calamity on election day or up to 8 days prior; or if you’re out of the country (proven with your passport or movimiento migratorio). <Is there a fine if an institution doesn’t submit its list of employees?>

Reclamo por el incremento de prostitución clandestina (Claim over the increase in clandestine prostitution) – The hotels in the Chola Cuencana sector are organizing to eliminate clandestine prostitution in the area and to reactivate tourism. Business owners say that the street prostitution is linked with acts of violence such as fights, threats, assaults, robberies and micro-trafficking. At night the area is desolate with exception of the streetwalkers, has by the hour hotels, and is badly lit. All that discourages tourists. The Alianza Hotelera “Chola Cuencana” said that if authorities don’t respond, it and local businesses will hold demonstrations on top of the Tranvía route. The demonstrations will start with one hour each day and increase progressively until their problems are addressed.

Se accederá a 2 milliones de dosis de vacuna (Access to 2 million doses of vaccine) – The Government is negotiating to obtain at least 9 million doses of Covid vaccines. Last week it signed an advance purchase agreement with Astra-Zeneca and the U. of Oxford for 5 million doses to be paid for with an $11 million loan from the Banco Interamericano de Desarrrollo (BID). It finalized a letters of intent with Pfizer Ecuador y BioNTech for 2 million doses subject to to the success of the clinical study and regulatory approval and with Organización Covaxx, a subsidiary of United Biomedical from the US, for another 2 million doses. The country is also negotiating with Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna..

Agenda del Bicentenario-

Until 20/11 – Exhibit: Gritos inaudibles (Silent screams) by Santiago Guillermo – lunes a viernes, 8-16:00 – Casa Patrimonial Municipal Chaguarchimbana – limited capacity.

Until 31/12 – Exhibit by Robert Sherman – martes a viernes, 10-16:30 and sábados 10-16:00 – Casa Museo Remigio Crespo Toral – limited capacity.

23/10 – Virtual conversation on scenic arts: Influence of the city of Cuenca in the development and artistic representation with Galo Escudero, speaker – 17:00 – Zoom ID 9141220145.

23/10 to 15/11 – Exhibit: telescopes – 10:00 – 16:00 – Planetario Municipal – limited capacity.

And that´s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne