Eenergy outlook improves but the drought continues; Without payment, more dialysis clinics could close; Turi receives more prisoners; Giant nativity scene

Martes, 10/12/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

De El Mercurio del lunes, 9/12 (1 article):
Catedral Nueva acoge “gran nacimiento” (New Cathedral hosts “giant nativity scene”) – Shepherds, camels, a fountain and even a bonfire are part of the big nativity scene in the Catedral de Inmaculada Concepción in the Centro Histórico. This year, the Cartopel company is in charge of building the 140 sq. m. <over 1500 sq. ft.> nativity which is an annual tradition. Usually, the company builds the scene in their business in the Parque Industrial. The New Cathedral is open from lunes a sábado from 7:00-16:00 and los domingos from 7:00-14:00.

Titular –

This is the outfit the El Niño Viajero will wear for the Christmas Eve parade. It was designed and sewn by the nuns at the Convent del Carmen. (El Mercurio)

Listo el traje del Niño (El Niño Viajero’s costume is ready) – The mothers of the Convent del Carmen presented the garment the Niño Viajero will wear in the parade el 24/12. The dark green gown is silk with embroidered flowers and replicas of diamonds brought from the US. It took 3 months for the nuns to make the garment. The dozens of garments made by the order are conserved in the Convent. The image of the Niño has around 100 costumes donated by the faithful, devotees, priostes and institutions. All the garments are stored in a special space and form a rainbow along with the fabrics used. Each garment has a significance related to religion or Cuencanan traditions. <I wonder if that display is open to the public. And how many hours of loving labor does it represent?>

De El Mercurio del lunes, 9/12 (1 article):
Riesgo de cierre en clínicas de díalisis (Risk of closure of dialysis clinics) – Representatives of dialysis clinics meet every day outside of a (government?) financial office in Quito to demand payment from the Government which is 18 months in arrears. IESS and the Ministerio de Salud Pública owe $180 million and $100 million respectively. Although the Gov’t said it has started payments, the unrest continues.

Cristina Freire, spokesperson for the Asociación de Diálisis del Acuador (Asodiálisis) said the situation is putting clinics in a critical situation, and many centers will have to close. She said they need to be paid at least for 5 months which could keep them running until the beginning of 2025. She said that nationally, there are 120 centers, and since agosto, 8 of them have closed. A worse problem is that at least 20 more could close by the end of the year. The MSP said that it has been meeting with the Asociación Nacional de Clinicas y Hospitales Privados del Ecuador (ACHPE) <See, if you could translate that on your own, you’re on your way to learning Spanish – at least the low hanging fruit or words.> The meetings resulted in an agreement that better coordination will be articulated between the public and private health care systems to find urgent solutions. <An agreement not to squabble about where’s the money?>

Cuenca –

Faltan 2 días seguidos de lluvia para terminar con la sequía (2 consecutive days of rain needed to end the drought) – On el domingo, the drought in Cuenca hit 150 days in spite of the recent rains. After the strong rains on el 7 & 8, people were asking why we aren’t out of the drought? ETAPA answered that there should be 10-15 days of constant and moderate rains with the rivers at their normal flows. For now, there have only been 7 days of rain, therefore not meeting the 1st requirement. In addition. only 3 of the 4 rivers are at their normal flows with the Tarqui still below its normal so not meeting the 2nd requirement. Forecasts for this week project little rain and high ultraviolet radiation.

De El Mercurio del lunes, 9/12 (1 article):
10 mil litros de chicha para Pase del Niño (10 thousand liters of chicha for Pase del Niño) – The Poveda Pullon family has started preparing the 10,000 liters of chicha de jora which they will share el 24/12 during the Paseo del Niño Viajero parade. At 6 am ayer, Patricia Pulla with her husband Marcelo Poveda and their sons Marcelo, Adrián, and Danilo, selected the ingredients to make the drink which they will give to the faithful of the Niño Viajero. Patricia is one of the descendants of Rosa Palomeque de Pulla, considered one of the founders of the parade. On el domingo, 15/12, the chicha will be blessed in Patricia Pulla’s house.

Elecciones 2025 –

<More civics articles for you.>
Quienes no acudieron a votar pueden justificarse en el CNE (Those who did not vote can justify their absence at the CNE) – The Consejo Nacional Electoral is receiving justifications <excuses> from people who did not vote and want to avoid paying the fine of 10% of the Salario Básico Unificado (SBU – Unified Basic Wage). Those who were out of the country need to present their cédula, a copy of their passport or their migration certificate. Those who didn’t vote for health reasons or a physical impediment need a certificate from a doctor. Other reasons are a serious domestic calamity on election day <Like the power went off, all the doors are electric, and I was locked in my house?> or up to 8 days before the elections, or if you were out of or travelling back to the country.

Voting is facultativo (optional – your word for the day. <Try that the next time you go out to eat – “I thought paying the check was facultativo.”>) for people between 16 & 18, over 65, citizens living overseas, and members of the Policía Nacional or Fuerzas Armadas (FF.AA. – Armed Forces). You can go to www.cne.gov.ec to download the form you need to fill out. <What a concept to promote democracy – mandatory voting instead of suppressing the votes of “those” people.>

Prohibida propaganda política en edificaciones patrimoniales (Political advertising prohibited in heritage buildings) – Putting political advertising on historic buildings is prohibited by an ordinance <with a name a paragraph long>. The ordinance also prohibits using public assets and privately owned property in a public use <Does that mean slapping a Howdy Doody for president sticker on a park trash can is a violation of this law?> Also in the ordinance is that all types of advertising such as banners, flags, and balloons be easily removable. There is a prohibition against paint or posters fixed or glued directly on walls, posts, etc. and against overhanging structures of buildings. <About time – who wants to look at 2025 candidates’ pictures in 2027 because they’re permanently stuck to light poles with Super Glue?> All rallies or political acts involving a concentration of people in public spaces need a municipal permit.

Sistema financiero (Financial system) – According to the Ley Orgánica Electoral y de Organizaciones Políticas (Organic Electoral and Political Organizations Law), all political organizations and alliances, through their financial officers, representatives or attorneys must open a single elections account in an institution in the national financial system. There should be an account for each candidate, binomio (like Pres. and Vice Pres.), list, and jurisdiction that has been qualified to run. The operational financial records of all election income will be carried out through these accounts. <No PACs, no donations from unknown parties or anonymous billionaires ………no lobbyists!?>

Sucesos –

Traslado de reos preocupa por seguridad en Cuenca (Transfer of inmates is a security concern in Cuenca) – This past weekend, 40 prisoners were transferred from the prison in Machala, El Oro to the Turi prison in Cuenca. Leonardo Berrezueta, assemblyman for Azuay reacted by saying this was a wrong decision that is detrimental to the safety of Cuenca and it brings members of criminal groups and their allies into the city. Since the beginning of the year there have been other transfers from other provinces after the National Government ratified that Turi is considered a national prison. The transferred prisoners’ records include robbery, drug trafficking, sexual crimes, kidnapping and more.

This transfer is after recent violent incidents in the Penitenciaría del Litoral in Guayas. 10 prisoners and 2 guards were processed by the Prosecutor’s Office for terrorism for their suspected involvement in incidents in which explosions left prisoners and guards injured. The attack started in Pavilion 3 from where grenades were thrown into the transitory ward where 10 survivors of the 12/11/2023 massacre were housed. The attackers were a part of the “Los Duendes” gang. <If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.>

Nacional –

Mejoran los embalses y ayuda a reducir cortes (Improving reservoirs and helping to reduce outages) – The Mazar reservoir, which has been at critical levels for a month, reached an almost optimum level of 2,114 meters above sea level (msnm – metros sobre el nivel del mar) ayer. At the worst, it was at 2,109 msnm. Fabián Calero, viceministro de Electricidad, said the reduction of power outages to only 3 hours was a result of an increase in rain, mainly in the Amazonia, as well as steps the Government has taken to get energy for the country. First was the purchase of 420 MW of energy from Colombia starting el 15/11. The maximum capacity of the interconnected system is 450 mw. <For you Correistas, the interconnection between Colombia and Ecuador was completed during the terms of Rafael Correa and Juan Manuel Santos.>

Inés Manzano, ministra de Energía, said that 68 MW will be added from the Toachi Pilatón hydroelectric plant which will be increased gradually to reach its maximum of 204 MW by febrero, 2025. This plant should have been delivered 10 years ago. Regarding thermal generation on land, Fabián Calerosaid the first pieces of mobile generation equipment will be installed in the Salitral zone in Guayaquil and produce 80 MW by the middle of enero, 2025.

With regard to the 2 new power barges, the first can generate 120 MW and will arrive in the country this week and start operating at its maximum in the middle of diciembre. The 2nd barge, will start generating 100 MW when it starts operating in enero, 2025. Minister Manzano announced that Ecuador will start 2025 without apagones (blackouts – either your word for the day or a 2nd word for the day – I forget which. My excuse is old age.> since the country will overcome the energy crisis this month. <Promises, promises, all written on water.> Yesterday, President Noboa said blackouts will end December 20.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

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 (please don’t ask her for them). If information is incorrect, it is the responsibility of El Mercurio. The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.