Ecuador’s Pablo Escobar extradited, Warmer water killing Galapagos coral, Hat museum, 40 drunk drivers arrested, Inca Qhapac Ñan highway

Domingo, 25/2/2018

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Upcoming and ongoing agenda events –

Artistic presentations – There will be a presentation of arts based on the body, movement, and music <Why does this sound like pole dancing? Or do I just have a dirty mind?> on jueves, 1/3 and viernes, 2/3 in the galería Vitrina at the CCE (Pres. Córdova 7-89).

Articles about –

Economuseo Casa del Sombrero – The house on Rafael María Arízaga y Luis Cordero was built in 1870 and was where the Delgado family created the first hat factory in Ecuador. The Heredia family later acquired the house and started exporting hats, principally to the US and Europe. <I guess Panama came later.> Gerardo Machado, who was born in the neighborhood, remembers when calle Rafael María Arízaga was full of thousands of hats, drying in the street. That was possible then because there was no vehicular traffic in “la antigua Cuenca” (old Cuenca). The house was unoccupied for over 20 years and the city bought it from the Serrano family. The patrimonial house was restored and now functions as the Economuseo where there are 3 exhibit halls and a patio where weavers can sell their work. 15 apartments were built on the property for families working in the cultural sector with a 35% subsidy so that the prices run from $20,000 to $65,000.

Teatro el miércoles – The Municipality through the Department of Culture, has a program called “En el Teatro Sucre, Cuenca vive el Teatro” (In the Sucre Theater, Cuenca lives the Theater) which will feature various scenic arts cada (every) miércoles a las 19:00. The next performances will be:
28/2 – “Abya-Yala” from “Gotas Mágicas” (Magic Drops).
7/3 – ¡Bumbatal! ¡Qué error tan animal! (Bumbatal! What an animal mistake!) from “Teatro de la Ría.”
14/3 – “La Mama Waka” from “Teatro Hijos del Sur” (Children of the South Theater).
21/3 – “Cuando Llegue la Rosa” (When the Rose arrives) from “Teatro de las uyentrañas” (Theater of the entrails <Gut theater?>).
11/4 – “El Loco” from “Teatro de las mil puertas” (Theater of the 1,000 doors).

Otras cosas –

Titular – El pasado judicial a colombianos pedirán (Colombians will be asked to provide a “pasado judicial” (police report/ record) – The policy of open borders has been ended for Colombians who will now face more rigorous controls to enter Ecuador, including submitting a police report. < This might apply to Ecuadorians entering Colombia as well. The article used “ambos paises” (both countries) in one sentence.> The new policy is a response to the recent attacks by dissident groups in the Fuerzas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).

According to the UN Commission for Refugees, there are over 170,000 Colombians in Ecuador. <And this is for you numbers junkies.> 35% are from the 5 provinces bordering Ecuador, 35% from the capitol, Bogota, and 30% from the rest of the country. From 2000-2016, Ecuador received 140,000 applications for refugee visas, 90% from Colombians.

The Pablo Escobar of Ecuador – Prado Álava was extradited to the US from Colombia for transporting over 250 tons of cocaine to the US. Álava was trying to get on the list of FARC members to get into the Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz (JEP – Special Jurisdiction for Peace).

Today’s political cartoon – “Rambo de profe” (The teacher Rambo), with a military weapon and draped in a cartridge belts, is lecturing to a bunch of a worried looking kids. On the blackboard is (in English) “Peace: Freedom from war and violence, especially when people live and work together happily.” <I guess that’s what the cartoonist thinks of arming teachers.>

International Cochlear Implant Day – The hospital Vincente Corral Moscoso has performed 19 implant surgeries so far this year with another 19 planned for marzo and another 20 by the end of the year. The $30-40,000 process, when done privately, is free to the recipient through the Ministerio de Salud Pública (Ministry of Public Health). <Is this what you get when medicine is socialized? Your kids can get implants so they can hear even if you can’t afford it.>

Trees – EMAC will be cutting down 400 trees, primarily eucalyptus that are “en riesgo de desplomarse” (at risk of collapsing – your words for the day). For every tree cut, another 10 will be planted, some at the same location and some at other locations that need more trees. Trees to be cut are on av. Primero de Mayo along the Yanuncay, and in the Puertas del Sol sector along the Tomebamba, on the Panamericana Norte near González Suárez, on 24 de Mayo, av. Del Paraíso, in Misicata, and av. Doce de Abril. Due to the winter when the risk of falling trees is greater, there are 15 priority locations which include Milchichig, av. Veintisiete de Febrero, Playas de Totorcocha and more.

Drunk drivers – 40 drivers were detained for DUI last jueves y viernes. 3 fixed control points are operating at Unidad Nacional y Pichincha, Doce de Abril y José Peralta, and Ordóñez Lasso in the Río Amarillo sector. There are also speed controls at av. De Las Américas and Ricardo Durán. Transit agents were also warning people to not speed, to use their seatbelts, and not drive with a phone in their hand. Drunk drivers were immediately charged, and all were sentenced to jail, had to pay a fine of $386, and lost 10 points off their license. <So now you know how to avoid getting thrown in jail – first, don’t drink. Second avoid those areas if you have been drinking.>

Actualidades – As usual, if the short description of the article interests you, go to www.elmercurio.com.ec for the whole story.

Coral in the Galápagos – Researchers found that the ocean around the Galápagos has warmed by .4 degrees F (.2 C) each decade from 1979 to 2010 for a total of 1.1 F. and .6 C. This warming combined with the 1982-83 El Niño, killed most of the corals in the southern zone of the islands.

“Atrapanieblas” (Fog catcher) – These homemade screens help people get potable water in the Colombian countryside in Pasto. They are made of a 4×3 meter screen, PVC tubing, a filter, and a container for the water collected. On a good day, with 12 hours of fog/mist, the screens can collect between 10 & 15 liters of water. The system is cheap and non-contaminating. <And the photo looks like a Criso installation.>

Juan Antonia Llerena – The lawyer was born with visual deficiencies which are progressive, but which do not stop him from pursuing his career, having a family, and engaging in sports such as bicycling and endurance horseback riding.

An interview with Mateo Estrella, an expert in Tourism.

Intercultural page – The article is about the “Qhapac Ñan (Inca Highway) which connected the Inca Empire for a period of about 100 years. The more than 30,000 km. of the Qhapac Ñan covered the length and width of the Andes.

Sports and Health Page – The article is about tendonitis and sports.

Amenidades – The main article is about a bridal show “Dí que sí” (I said yes) which will be el viernes in the Convention Center at the Mall del Río. There will be a wedding and formal gown fashion parade to benefit the Fundación Reinas de Cuenca (Queens of Cuenca Foundation) with a cost of $10.00.

Descuentos y compras –

Colineal – liquidation of floor samples – up to 60% off – lunes, 26/2-domingo, 4/3 – Autopista near redondel de Turi, Hermano Miguel 8-58, parque Industrial, Mall del Río, Monay Shopping – buy on line at www.colineal.com.

Tosi – Savings fair – 6-10/3 – 9:30-7:30 and open during lunch – Bolívar y Benigno Malo.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne