Former comptroller goes on trial in Florida; More referendum questions and objections; Public baños are unprofitable; Police seize explosives and ammo

Lunes, 8/4/2024

Hola, Todos –

Titular –

Ya se sienten efectos de crisis diplomática (Effects of diplomatic crisis already felt) – See Monday’s articles in CHL.

Cuenca –

Poca rentabilidad influye al concesionar baños públicos (Low profitability influences the concession of public restrooms) – <Can you think of any story more local than public bathrooms in the Centro Histórico?> 2 of the 9 public bathrooms in the Centro Histórico could change to be used for mobility and security, depending on whatever the Cantonal Council decides. The two bathrooms are at Vega Muñoz y Miguel Vélez and Juan Montalvo y Sangurima.

One of the questions on the April 21 referendum allows greater use of the armed forces in law enforcement activities. (El Mercurio)

Neighbors are asking for attention to keep them clean. No concessionaire has been found to operate them since the pandemic because they aren’t profitable due to their location outside of areas with a lot of foot traffic. The other 7 bathrooms have operators and the cleanliness and maintenance depends on the operator. Cost to use the bathroom is $.15 per user. At the moment it is unknown if there should be more or fewer public bathrooms. A study is being planned. <And then of course, there are those guys who wouldn’t pay $.15 to take a leak as long as there was a convenient wall or tree to piss against.>

Consulta popular –

De El Mercurio del sábado, 6/4 (1 article):
Trabajo por horas, al debate (Work by the hour, under discussion) – This is the 5th question in the referendum and asks, “Are you in agreement with amending the constitution and reforming the Labor Code for fixed-term and hourly employment contracts….without affecting rights that have been acquired by workers?”

Rubén Bulima of the Frente Unitario de Trabajadores (FUT – United Workers’ Front) said his organization is opposed since there is a large risk that employers will fire or lay off employees to introduce precarious labor contracts with workers, especially women and youth. Employees will not have rights and they will lose overtime, vacations and holidays. A “yes” vote would affect stable employment with repercussions in the credit system which would reduce the possibility of workers having access to credit.

Another issue is that with yes vote, hourly workers would not be affiliated with IESS which would have an impact on the crisis at IESS. Jaime Moreno, an attorney, mediator and ex-executive director of the Cámara de Comercio de Cuenca (CCC – Cuenca Chamber of Commerce), explained that hourly contracts are absolutely valid. He said that there have been excesses, but that is the responsibility of the authorities in control and those who oppose hourly contracting are those who have stable work. He asked what about the 7 out of 10 Ecuadorians who don’t have stable work? This is not a new mode of employment in the country, and the tool must be applied, but it is also necessary to control those who use it, where the authorities must be more active. <I didn’t understand what he said in Spanish and the translation program doesn’t make it any clearer in English. The day is coming soon when I’ll be too senile to translate any more.>

De El Mercurio del domingo, 7/4 (1 article):
Militares cerca de cárceles (Military personnel near prisons) – Ths is the 1st question on the consulta popular and asks, “Are you in agreement with the Armed Forces conducting controls of arms, munitions, explosives and accessories, permanently, on the authorized ingress routes, roads, tracks and corridors to the social rehabilitation centers.” For Guillermo Cobo, the ex-commanding general of the Guardia Ciudadana who fought in the Cenapa, this question is inoficioso (useless – your word for the day) since the military has always controlled the use and ownership of arms.

Milton Benítez, ex-director of the Faculty of Security and Defense of the ESPE (Escuela Politécnica del Ejército – Armed Forces University), agreed that the military has always had control of arms through the Ley de Control de Armas. However, he said the question has a key word: centros de rehabilitación social which asks that the military be close to the prisons for controls. Benítez listed other problems he saw while he was Governor of Azuay including guards without the necessary training to control jails, poor pay (a bit more than $600), no experience and inadequate education, and exposure to very dangerous people, all leading to putting control of prisons in the hands of gangs. He said that mission of the FF.AA. is not to control prisons. Beyond the consulta question what is needed is a complete intervention in the prison system and not band-aids.

El polémico aumento de penas (The controversial increase in sentences) –
This is the 2nd question of the consulta popular, but El Mercurio did not print the question itself. The question was proposed based on the perception by the Government that an increase in penalties for certain crimes would decrease the commission of those crimes. The crimes are terrorism, drug production and trafficking, organized crime, assassination, contract killing, trafficking in people, kidnapping for ransom, arms trafficking, money laundering, and illegal activity of mining resources.

Jurist Carlos Castro said that in reality, research has shown that increasing penalties does very little to decrease crime. He said what is needed is an investment in society: education, culture, health and basic services to the vulnerable population that criminal gangs have captured. For Andrés Martínez, a Ph.D. political and constitutional studies, Noboa’s government is responding to citizen demand that increases in penalties will, in theory, result in more security. He also thought that structural problems should be addressed through public policies in the areas of social, education, and reactivation of employment precisely for youth who have been imprisoned for illegal activities. <Sounds like increasing penalties will just give delinquents more time to learn how to be more effective criminals. So if a 4 year sentence is equivalent to a Bachelor of Murder, 8 years would be a Ph.D?>

Sucesos –

Autoridades decomisaron 10 cajas de explosivos en Machachi (Authorities seized 10 boxes of explosives in Machachi) – Anti-explosives agents of the Policía Nacional seized 10 boxes of explosives in Machachi, in the south of Pichincha Province on the morning of domingo, 7/4. <Meanwhile, closer to home> a house in Cuenca where explosives were being stored was raided on el viernes, 5/4. Police found 739 – 223 caliber rounds, 674 cylinders of pentolite, detonating cord, a mobile terminal and a fragmentation grenade. The grenade was detonated by the Grupo de Intervención y Rescate because of its instability. <I hope to God that the raid was nowhere near my house – selfish attitude. Shame on me.>

Nacional –

Inicia juicio a excontralor Pólit en Estados Unidos (Ex-Comptroller Polit goes on trial in the U.S.) – The trial of Carlos Pólit who was the Comptroller during the Government of Rafael Correa, started today in the the Southern District Court of Florida. He is charged on 3 counts — conspiracy of money laundering, money laundering, and participation in transactions using assets derived from crimes. The US Prosecutor’s office accused Pólit of having received $11 million in bribes from Odebrecht; for a corruption scheme in Seguros Sucre; and for possible payments received from the Spanish tuna business Albacora. In Ecuador, Pólit was sentenced to 6 years for concusión (soliciting a bribe) having received $101 million in bribes from Odebrecht. <So he fled Ecuador and continued with his illegal activities in the US? Or can the US charge him with using assets derived from crimes in another country?>

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne