Despite rain, water rationing is underway; Health officials warn of ‘silent’ Covid spread; Bus owners complain about diesel cost; Orhcestra is live tonight

Jueves, 19/11/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

Internos dejan en libertad su habilidad con las artes (Interns release their skill with the arts) – A group of inmates at the Centro de Privación de la Libertad Azuay (Azuay Center for the Deprivation of Liberty), until recently known as the Centro de Rehabilitación Social Turi (Turi Social Rehabilitation Center), participated in a 40-hour workshop to learn how to draw. <I wonder if the name change of the prison also indicates a change from rehabilitation to punishment?> A show of 11 of drawings opened el 12/11 at the Casa de las Posadas (Gran Colombia entre Octavio Cordero y Miguel Heredia) and will run for a few more weeks. Hours are from 8:30 a 16:45.

OSC ofrecerá recital con un aforo limitado (OSC will offer recital with a limited capacity) – The Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca will perform its first in person concert since the start of the lockdown with the jazz group, Jazz de Barro, este 19 & 20/11 a las 19:00 in the Teatro de la Casa de la Cultura. The OSC’s VIII concert of the 2nd season was recorded last week in the Pumapungo archeological complex and can be heard in the Sala Digital de Conciertos de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sinfonicacuena. The program included La estrada de Nino Rota, Huapango de José Pablo Moncayo, Pasillo de Enrique Espín, la Chola Cuencana, and Por eso te quiero Cuenca <Hopefully that will sound better with a real orchestra than played through the lousy speaker on your neighborhood gas truck.>.

Lo mejor de la Bienal se presenta en exposición (The best of the Biennial on display) – The “Parábolas de superficies” show is open to the public at the house of the Fundación Bienal de Cuenca. It includes 7 of the winners of past Biennials and the show is a preamble for next year’s 15th Biennial. Individuals can enter the house in on Bolívar y Estévez de Toral via doors from either street. Groups should make a reservation at info@bienaldecuenca.org.

Cine urbano, hoy (Urban cine today) – There was a showing of urban cine Thursday at the Alianza Francesa (Tadeo Torres y av. Solano) with a collection of short documentaries. If you couldn’t attend in person, it will be transmitted on the Alianza’s Facebook page. Limited capacity.

Otras cosas –

Cuenca city bus owners complain about higher diesels costs and delayed subsidy payments.

Titular – Esperanza de lluvias renace (Hope for rain is reborn) – <I’m listening to the rain on the skylight, and is that ever a sweet sound.> The lack of rain has caused low to no water levels in rivers that provide water to the treatment plants in Azuay. Cantons are taking different actions to keep providing service including suspension of service during certain hours, regulations of the reserve tanks and campaigns on social networks about poor water use, especially in agricultural activities. Santa Isabel is only providing water from 5:00-12:30 and from 17:00-21:00. The mayor said that only 20 liters per second is entering the treatment plant when 40ec l/s is what is normally needed for the plant to function properly. Girón is also regulating water pressure in their reserve tanks and suspending service between 23:00 and 5:00, and may go to daytime suspensions if the shortage continues. The city will fine water wasters. Gualaceo is asking that Elecaustro reduce its intake of water to the mini-electrical plant by 40% to allow more water for potable water use. Chordeleg is fining people who use potable water to irrigate fields, gardens and wash cars.

In Cuenca, officials said rains on Wednesday and Thursday was helpful but fell mainly east of the Cajas Mountians watershed, providing limited recharge for area rivers and city reservoirs. More rain is in the forecast, however.

Transmisión silenciosa del Covid-19 (Silent transmission of Covid-19) – The Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) is warning of the silent transmission of Covid by asymptomatic n+*or presymptomatic patients. The lack of tests to find asymptomatic cases and a false sense of security in possible patients prompted the Ministry to warn of a possible “resurgimientos explosivos” (explosive resurgence) of the virus. Health authorities said that although symptomatic cases are being quarantined, infected people not showing symptoms should also be isolated. The Ministry said there should be rapid contact tracing and more tests conducted to slow the transmission of the disease. An epidemiologist said it’s good that Azuay is stable with 150 new cases per week, but that does not mean the virus is under control. <I see way too many people walking around with their masks under their noses. What’s with that? A new way to catch snot to save money on Kleenex?>

Transportación en reisgo por alza del diésel (Transportation at risk due to rising diesel) – The owners of the 475 urban buses in Cuenca are warning that they are experiencing serious losses due to the steady rise in diesel prices which puts the continuation of bus service at risk. Prices of diesel 2 and diesel premium have risen by 24% between 20/5 and 11/11. Manolo Solís, president of the CTC, asked the city to pay about $420,000 in past due subsidies. He also said that as of enero, 2021, owners need to start making payments on $60 million in loans for replacing the fleet of buses. Their income was also reduced when they gave up the 100 line which is now served by the Tranvía. <Why do these guys always lead with threats – no more bus service. Would they rather have no income at all and still have those loans to pay off?>

Presunta concusión en la Policía (Alleged solicitation of bribes in the Police) – The Fiscalía del Azuay (Prosecutor) is investigating an alleged case of solicitation of bribes in the Distrito Cuenca Norte of the Policía Nacional. A police officer reported that he received the go ahead to work in Cuenca and was included in a WhatsApp group. There he received messages that to continue his job or get an extra day off, he needed to pay $3 -$5. The officer objected and made a complaint which is now being investigated.

Agenda –

Del 24 al 27 de noviembre:
Simposio Internacional: ciudades intermedias con caracteristicas patrimoniales (International Symposium: medium sized cities with heritage characteristics) – info at mmalo@cuenca.gob.ec – organized by Alcaldía de Cuenca y Universidad del Azuay.

martes – 24 de noviembre:
14:00 – Lectura de cuentos: Las gagones y María la guagua (Story reading: Las gagones and María la guagua) – register at (07) 236 5204, bmsidcay@hotmail.com.
16:00 – Simposio Internacional: ciudades intermedias con caracteristicas patrimoniales (International Symposium: medium sized cities with heritage characteristics) – Facebook live @CulturaCUE-

miércoles – 25 de noviembre:
15:00 – Mediación lectora. Cuenca de ayer y hoy, lo que nos contaron los abuelos (Reading mediation. Cuenca yesterday and today, what our grandparents told us) – register at lucaaguilar@yahoo.com.
17:00 – Encuentro Iberoamericano sobre los desafios de la Educación Superior (Ibero-American Meeting on the Challenges of Higher Education) – https://www.facebook.com/ucacue.educacioncontinua/.

jueves – 26 de noviembre:
11:00 – Apertura de la exposición de documentos históricos: La Iglesia en Cuenca, creación y aporte del Seminario en la educatción (Opening of the exhibition of historical documents: The Church in Cuenca, creation and contribution of the Seminary in education) – Museo Catedral Vieja – limited capacity.

viernes – 27 de noviembre:
10:00 – Presentación del folleto: Plantas Medicinales (Presentation of the brochure: Medicinal Plants) – Comunidad Uchuloma <Don’t ask me where it is – I have no idea.>
19:00 – Apertura de la exposición: Memorias de la libertad (Opening of the exhibition: Memories of freedom) – Casa Museo Remigio Crespo Toral – limited capacity.

sábado – 28 de noviembre:
10:00 – 16:00 – Visitas guiadas al Museo de las Conceptas (Guided visits to the Museo de las Conceptas) – Hermano Miguel 6-33 – limited capacity.

Del 30 de noviembre al 4 de diciembre:
15:00 – 18:00 – Taller virtual de fotografia para promoción y difusión de artesanías (Virtual photography workshop for the promotion and dissemination of handicrafts) – register at centro_documentacion@cidap.gob.ec.

And that´s all for today so hasta el 28/11 when I will post the Bicentennial Agenda for 1/12 to 5/12.

Jeanne
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Editor’s note: Jeanne’s Periodico is a translated digest of news from the Cuenca daily newspaper El Mercurio. If details, such as event dates and times, do not appear in the translation, they did not appear in the newspaper. The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.