Deportations of Ecuadorians from the U.S. up sharply; Drive-in theater opens in San Joaquín; Gov’t closes 25 mines for pollution; Violent robberies increase

Jueves, 19/8/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

l autocine llega a la parroquia San Joaquín (New project – The drive-in movie comes to San Joaquín parish) – A drive in movie will open in San Joaquín el viernes, 20/8. The first show will be mañana a las 19:00 with two options – Rápidos y Furiosos (Fast and Furious) or Jungle Cruise. <Now how do they do that?> The project is the brainchild of Ecuadorian builder Pablo Culcay who lived in the US for more than 30 years. The “theater” will hold 30 cars with a $20 charge for each car irregardless of how many people are in the car. <I imagine you’ve all seen pick-ups with 8 in the cab and another 12 in the bed so $20 is only $1 per person.> Make reservations at 096 404 5516. Food similar to that sold at a movie theater will be available. The screen is 8 meters by 8 meters and is located in “La Casa del Árbol” in Paraíso del Azuay, a private tourist venue. To get there, take the vía a San Joaquín, 5 km along. <Not the most exact set of directions, especially if you haven’t lived in Cuenca all your life. And Googling La Casa del Árbol gets me a hostal on a deadend street off Loja.>

Titular –

Buscan frenar viajes a México (Seeking to stop trips to Mexico) – Government data showed that between enero y julio de 2021, a total of 88,696 Ecuadorians traveled to México and only 34,331 returned. Of the 54,365 who stayed in México, most of them intended to cross into the U.S. with the help of coyotes. This coincides with a historic increase in deportations from the U.S. with 71,945 Ecuadorians deported between octubre, 2020 and julio, 2021. This was a 687% increase from the same period the year before when there were 10,463 deportations. William Murillo, founder of the 1800 Migrante organization, said a large part of the increase in voyages to México was because México stopped requiring visas from Ecuadorians in 2018.

Many Ecuadorians entering the U.S. without visas are detained at the border and most will be sent home. So far in 2021, the number of deportations matches the number of migrants believed to be entering the U.S.

To slow this migration, new requirements have been implemented. Travelers using Ecuadorian passports must now show a prepaid, printed round-trip ticket. Phone screenshots are not accepted. The traveler must also show a physical receipt for lodgings corresponding to the travel dates, or a written invitation from a host with a copy of their ID including a promise from the visitor that they will return to Ecuador on the date of the plane ticket. The traveler must also prove that they have sufficient economic resources to cover their stay in México. <Those of you with dual citizenship should probably travel using your US passport. Using your Ecuadorian passport sounds like just too much hassle – even if you’re 6’6″, blond, blue-eyed and don’t look like anyone born in Ecuador.>

Fernanco Alvear, national director of the Registro Civil, announced that as of 30/8, service will be provided by appointment and they are implementing a special system. A platform was started today to get appointments at the San Blas, El Batán, and parque De La Libertad offices.

Cuenca –

Vacunación, según fecha de carnet (Vaccination, according to card date) – Vaccinations are proceeding according to the schedule established in the Coordinación Zonal 6 de Salud. A representative said that to avoid crowding, people should respect the date for the vaccination on their vaccination card. There’s a list of locations too long to type for the general public and another 10 sites for businesses. Those who should have gotten their second dose today include Pfizer recipients who got their first doses el 22/7; Sinovac recipients who were vaccinated el 22/7 and whose appointments on 15/8 were cancelled due to late delivery of the vaccines; and AstraZeneca recipients who got their first shots el 27/5. People should go to the center where they got their first dose.

Cambia el recorrido de buses en Cuenca (Changes in bus routes in Cuenca) – Maintenance of the cobblestones on Padre Aguirre entre Juan Jaramillo and calle Larga started today. While the work is being done, there will be changes in the 3, 5, 10, 13, 19, & 20 bus lines that run on calle Larga, Padre Aguirre and Juan Jarmillo. The new route will be calle Larga to Vargas Machuca and then back to Juan Jaramillo or Mariscal Sucre. For line 14, the route will be calle Larga to Huayna Cápac where it will resume its usual route. The street will remain open to traffic since the work will be done in two phases, one for each lane.

Sucesos –

Violentos robos perpetrados con puñal y arma de fuego (Violent robberies perpetrated with a knife and firearm) – There have been assaults in the past few days in Cuenca with criminals attacking people with knives and guns. The intent has not been to intimidate, but to kill. Ricardo González, a surrogate chief in the Subzona de Policía del Azuay, said the aggression was unleashed when victims resisted the robberies. He added the crimes were opportunistic when the criminals saw people not paying attention. There were cases of drivers who had their windows open and windshield washers or beggers took advantage to grab or steal. He cautioned citizens to be aware as they go about their daily activities.

One young man was shot, and several other victims have been stabbed, some seriously. The shooting was in Quinta Chica, one stabbing was on av. Solano, a cyclist was stabbed on calle El Salado, and 3 people who tried to defend a victim were stabbed near the Miraflores redondel. With respect to robberies with knives, the Policía Nacional is working with the Gobernación del Azuay to implement an ordinance to regulate carrying knives in public spaces in Cuenca. There is no current law governing carrying a knife, which is done by many, and all the police can do is confiscate the weapon. <If you need to take a knife for sharpening, or if you buy one, bundle it up in newspaper and carry it in a Sukasa bag. Although I doubt police would confiscate your Henckels or Wusthof chef’s knife if you can explain why you’re carrying it and look like a retired accountant.>

Nacional –

25 concesiones mineras suspendidas por incumplimiento (25 mining concessions suspended for non-compliance) – After control and follow-up inspections of 39 mining concessions in the country, the Ministerio de Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica suspended 25 projects for non-compliance with current environmental laws and possibly affecting water sources. Environmental effects included discharging water used in mining without treating it. disposing of sterile material on the ground, use of mercury, incorrect rehabilitation of the mined and affected area, diversion of rivers, and more. The suspended mines were in El Oro with 19, Zamora Chinchipe with 2, Azuay with 2 in the Ponce Enríquez canton, Morona Santiago with 1 and Napo with 1. All the mines are considered small. The owners received notification of the suspension of activities and have 15 days to submit a plan with corrective and preventive measures. Not complying with this can carry administrative or criminal sanctions. <Good to know that scofflaws can go to jail.>

And that´s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne