Debate offers a forum to lesser-known candidates; Rape case prompts drug warning; For first time, a woman commands the police; Gasoline subsidies end

Jueves, 17/1/2025

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Titular –
Sequestro y violación en Narancay (Kidnapping and rape in Narancay) – An atrocious case of rape has upset the city of Cuenca. A mother who was with her 2-year-old daughter went to a tienda in the Narancay Bajo sector about 8:00 on Tuesday. She remembers 3 people in the location, one of whom approached the mother with a paper in her hand, apparently to ask directions. It is presumed that the paper contained a hallucinogenic substance because the mother lost consciousness and woke up in an unknown house.

Sunday’s presidential debate is unlikely to determine a winner, experts say, but it will provide important exposure to lesser-known candidates, most of whom are polling less than 1%. (El Mercurio)

At that time, the criminals asked her for phone numbers for her family to call and demand $1,000 to rescue her, or they would kill her. The mother, who is a domestic worker, said that the family is poor. Then the kidnappers threatened to rape the child, but finally raped the mother, and freed her and let her leave the house. With the child in arms, she walked 2 hours and got to San Joaquin where she was able to call for help about 16:00 on the 15th. The case is with the Prosecutor’s office, and Azuay governer, Santiago Malo, met with the accusors to give necessary support.

The Policía Nacional made recommendations to avoid being the victim of a robbery in which hallucinogenic substances are used. You should not allow strangers to get too close to you for much time to prevent inhaling any drug. Avoid contact with people who approach you with a paper in their hand to ask for directions. Don’t accept food or drinks from strangers since hallucinogenics are usually administered that way. Stay alert for suspicious behavior and move away from situations that make you nervous.

De El Mercurio del miércoles, 15/1 (1 article):
Seguridad en manos femininas (Safety in feminine hands) – Coronel Natali Aguilera Viteri is the new commander of the Police Subzone of Azuay, replacing Coronel Pablo Ignacio Guachamín. This is the first time in the history of the Policía Nacional that a woman has led the command of Azuay Province. Her previous post was chief of the National Police Community and Tourism Unit. She said the challenges are to continue bringing security to Azuay and mentioned Camilo Ponce Enríquez where she will review security strategies.

Cuenca –

De El Mercurio del miércoles, 15/1 (1 article):
Gasolina extra deja de tener subidio estatal (Extra gasoline no longer subject to state increase) – According to the table of fuel subsidies published by Petroecudor, there will be no subsidy for Extra gasoline this month since the price has reached the international market price. From 12/12/2023 (sic) to 12/12/2024, the price of Extra went from $2.64 to $2.71. Since septiembe of 2023 the cost to import a barrel of naphtha reached $99 while its sale in Ecuador was at $100. The difference between income and costs was positive for the country and reflected in enero/2025 with the elimination of the subsidy.

Sucesos –

Habrá cierre vial por tala de árboles en la Panamericana Norte (There will be road closures due to tree cutting on the Panamerican Highway North) – On sábado, 18/1 and domingo 19/1, starting at 9:00 both days, 74 trees at risk of falling will be cut along the PanaNorte between the Redondel del las Mujeres de Piedra and the oxygenation ponds in Ucubamba with road closures and detours. Northbound traffic will detour onto Av. Da Las Américas, take the Cuenca-Azogues autopista, and re-enter the PanaNorte at the Ucubamba bridge. Southbound traffic will detour at the Ucubmba bridge, take the Cuenca-Azogues autopista, then Av De Las Americas with the option of entering via Av. González Suarez. If you are coming from Av. España or the Parque Industrial, go to the redondel del las Mujeres de Piedra and continue on González Suárez to calle Cumandá where a transit agent will direct you to Las Américas and the autopista. <Confused enough?>

Nacional –

Debate tiene peso a la hora de definir el voto (Debate has weight when defining the vote) – El domingo, from 19:00 to 22:00, divided into 2 time slots, the 16 presidential candidates will participate in the mandatory debate which is organized by the Consejo Nacional Electoral. Political scientist Alfredo Espinosa considers that the debate is important, not so much to determine a winner, but to allow secondary candidates to get into the public arena. That is what happened in 2021 when Yaku Pérez, Javier Hervas, and Pedro Freile who were behind became contenders to the point where Pérez almost beat Guillermo Lasso to reach the run-offs. <So does anyone remember who actually was in the run-offs with Lasso?> In 2023, JanTopic was a new face for the electorate. Other analysts believed debates had an impact on voting since it positioned candidates, defined elections and trends, and showed the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates.

According to pollster Conumicaliza, 86.1% of voters have already decided who they will vote for in what realistically is a two-person race. 36.1% will vote for the incumbent Daniel Noboa, 33% for the correista candidate Luisa González, and 2% for Leonidas Iza (Pachakutik) with the rest of the candidates all under 1%. For Espinoza, the 14% of undecideds can be taken advantage of by those in the bottom of the polls, not so much to get into 1st or 2nd place, but to get to a solid 3d place where they can have an important bloque in the National Assembly which was what happened with Yaku Pérez and Pachakutik.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne