Ecuador to allow passage of refugees, Wildfires doused, Tranvía agreement signed, Surgeons donate services, Bicentenario plans

Lunes, 12/10/2019

Hola, Todos –
I have an extremely busy week next week, so I’m apologizing in advance if I miss some days.

Actividades –

De la pagina cultural –

Teatro – Teatrum Danza, a group of 8 students, is premiering “La condición misma de la existencia” (The very condition of existence) Friday a las 20:00 in the Sala Procesa. The work is based on The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Cost: $5.00.

Teatro – “Ojitos de Luna” will be staged viernes y el sábado a las 20:00 in the Break (Juan Jaramillo 4-81). The work was created from research into the lives and experiences of country women in Santa Isabel.

National Assembly prepares budget.

Book launch – “La decimotercera forma,” the last book by Max I. Vega, will be launched mañana a las 20:00 in the Café Libro Pálier.

Del cuerpo del periodico –

Chyno in Cuenca – The Venezuelan singer who used to be half of Chino y Nacho, will be in Cuenca el sábado, 14/9 in the HangOver disco. Opening acts Javier Neira and Michelle Cordero will start a las 18:00. Tickets cost $15 (upper level), $20 (lower level) and $25 (VIP).

Otras cosas –

Titular – Ofrecimientos del presidente Moreno (Offers from President Moreno) – Pres. Moreno spoke at an event, “Encuentro con los Campesinos del Austro” (Meeting with the Country Dwellers of the South) in the stadium in Sinincay. He said that 221 medical dispensaries of the Seguro Social Campesino throughout the country will be remodeled by 2021. Other projects will include 1,000 sports courts with synthetic grass, security lighting and cameras, and 500 football schools. The football schools are part of the “Juego Limpio” project in which Ecuador, Colombia and Perú would organize the Mundial de Fútbol 2030. <So where would this be held? Lima? Bogotá?>

National Assembly budget – The Asamblea Nacional wants to complete a legislative complex started in 2012 and abandoned in 2014. <Abandoned for 5 years makes me really wonder about the Tranvía time frame.> The Asamblea is meeting to discuss and approve an annual budget for 2020 and a 4 year budget for 2020-2023 which contains a request for a budget increase in spite of Pres. Moreno’s austerity plan for government institutions. The original estimate for a new office building for legislators was $11 million which later increased to $41 million. <Was Odebrecht involved?> A court house next to the Assembly building was torn down before the project was abandoned.

Surgeries – The Sociedad de Cirugia Plástica del Austro and the Regalando una Sonrisa foundation are doing cirugiás solidarias (solidarity surgeries) on patients from Morona Santiago who are suffering from various malformations including burns, and hand and foot deformities. A team of 20 including surgeons, traumatologists and anesthesiologists <and nurses, too, of course although they didn’t get mentioned>, will treat 14 patients at the hospital “Vicente Corral” viernes y sábado.

“Permiso de tránsito” – The Secretary of State, José Valencia announced that the government will allow Venezuelans with visas for 3d countries to pass through Ecuador. These transit permits can be obtained at the border by presenting a visa to a 3d country, are free, and are good for 10 days. <I never hear about Venezuelans fleeing to Guayana which borders Venezuela. Must be even worse there.>

Bicentenario – 3 groups have joined to organized the 200 anniversary of the Independence of Cuenca. The Junta Bicentenario is composed of people with knowledge and experience in cultural themes. The second group is a technical committee of city officials and council members. The 3d is a commission appointed by the City Council. The mayor is hoping for citizen participation as well.

Tranvía – El último martes, the city signed a provisional acceptance of the Tranvía project and is now the owner of the stops, workshop, low tension lines, ticket machines, furniture and stoplight system.

Forest fires – Fires in the Sigcho sector of Sinincay Parish, at km 57 of the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme in Molleturo Parish, and on av. De Las Amèricas y Abraham Sarmiento were put out yesterday.

Sismo (terremoto – earthquake – your word for the day) – There was a magnitude 4 earthquake 37 km. from Macas at a depth of 129 km. There were no injuries or damage.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne