Fraudulent car registrations investigated; Cuenca architects win int’l awards; Shop and eat local at Casa Yangoe; Hanging out at Cuenca’s Harley club

Lunes, 25/4/2022

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Casa Yangoe: un espacio para el comercio justo y el esparcimiento (Casa Yangoe: a space for fair trade and recreation) – Casa Yangoe started in Quito 7 years ago and opened in Cuenca in 2021. You can buy products from an association of campesinos (country people), artisans, and small businesses while enjoying the architecture of the classic adobe and wattle and daub historic house in the Centro Histórico. You can still see some of the original construction which has been fused with a modern style. In the different sections of the house, there are fresh foods, processed foods, and crafts. There is a cellar with organic wines, a place for Ecuadorian cacao and coffee, and gourmet cheese. <So not the soft, white bland stuff?> The back part has a cozy garden where you can relax and enjoy your purchases, and artistic activities on the weekends. The second floor has the “La María” restaurant with innovative cocktails using national liquors. <Tired of the same old margarita, bloody Mary, or Cuba libre? This was installed just for you gringos whose palates are getting jaded by the same old drinks.>

Cuenca architects Apolo Gaviláñez and Valeria Bustos have won awards in Paris and Panama for their designs that use eco-friendly, local materials.

Taller de animé (Anime workshop) – An anime workshop for children started today in the Casa Municipal del Alfarero (Convención del 45 y Mariscal La Mar). Classes are a las 15:00 and will run to sábado. Go to the Casa to register.

Presentación de libro (Book launch) – The novel, “Canción Rota” <I’m not translating the title because if you can’t do that for yourself, how the heck do you think you’re going to be able to read a whole book?> will be launched el miércoles a las 18:00 in the Palier Café Libro (Luis Cordero y Pres. Córdova).

Feria de estudios (Study fair) – ExpoEstudios will have more than 300 schools and universities el 26/5 from 16-20:00 at the Quinta Lucrecia (1° de Mayo y 12 de Octubre). The schools will be presenting their academic offerings.

Titular –

Poder Judicial se autoexamina (The Judiciary examines itself) – Yesterday, Pres. Lasso met with Iván Saquicela who directs the Corte Nacional de Justicia (CNJ) and Fausto Murillo, director of the Consejo de la Judicatura (CJ) to answer the question – what is the institution responsible for granting habeas corpus to excarcelación (excarceration/release) prisoners. Both directors indicated the Corte Constitucional (CC) which has made modifications in recent years that allow the benefit of habeas corpus to be abused to benefit people related to corruption, drug trafficking and organized crime. The issue blew up when ex-VP Jorge Glas was released and irregularities were found such as the request coming from a remote parish in which Glas neither lived nor was incarcerated. The solutions to this problem were discussed. <The rest of the article is too complicated for me to figure out since I don’t know what the responsibilities of the CNJ, CJ, and CC are supposed to be to begin with.>

Cuenca –

Arquitectura cuencana es premiada en dos países (Architecture from Cuenca wins awards in two countries) – Al Cubo Arquitectura, was founded by a couple, Apolo Gaviláñez and Valeria Bustos over 15 years ago to explore building with traditional techniques such as wattle and daub, mud, wood, and guadua cane. They started with restorations of patrimonial houses and using traditional materials instead of concrete. One reason was to reduce the carbon footprint, use local materials, and contribute to the local economy instead of importing things long distances. They first needed to educate and demonstrate to governmental agencies that these ecological materials weren’t only for patrimonial or country houses. In 2021, they won the Word (World?) Quality Commitment Award in Paris for leadership in sustainability, bio- and neuroarchitecture. They were recognized in Panamá in the Business Management Awards 2022 competition in the business leadership category.

Region-

Anulan matrículas irregulares (Irregular registrations cancelled) – The Municipio of El Tambo discovered 1,117 irregularly registered vehicles through the Unidad Municipal de Transporte, Tránsito y Seguridad Vial. The city filed a report with the Attorney General’s Office, put the chief of the Unidad on leave, and asked to change the passcodes to the vehicle registration system. The week before, La Agencia Nacional de Tránsito (ANT) announced that there were 147 cities and agencies that had over 110,000 anomalies in their registration processes. It published a list of the13 cities with the most irregularities. El Tambo was the only canton in Cañar and the south of the country with this problem. Most of the irregularities were for cars from other provinces, mostly from the coast and Oriente and date from 10/2021 when ANT system was hacked. There were also networks of facilitators offering registration services including attaching a sticker that the city didn’t even have, and issuing documents in pink instead of on the white paper used by the city Unidad. <Why wouldn’t you matriculate your car in the normal way unless you stole it?>

Deportes –

From domingo, 24/42022

32 apasionados por motocicletas Harley-Davidson (32 Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiast) – <This is for all of you whose hearts beat to the rhythm of a big bike engine.> The Wheelers MC has 32 members, not all of whom ride Harleys. They have a club near the parque El Dragón which is a 2nd home to the members; they meet on los jueves, and ride on los sábados to different parts of the country. <Looks like a nice club – pool table, bar, TV, awards and trophies on the walls>. The club is about 16 years old, and not everyone is accepted. Potential members have to have a bike with at least a 500 cc engine, but not necessarily a Hog. Most of the non-Harley bikes are customized. There is a 8-12 month probation period before full membership is granted.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne