Highway thieves terrorize travelers on Guayaquil-Cuenca route; Ecuador’s glaciers are melting; City prepares for Corpus Christi; Border rules updated

Lunes, 27/5/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

De El Mercurio del domingo, 26/5 (2 articles):
Exposición en el CIDAP (Exhibition at CIDAP) – The Salón Ardis de Artesanía Contemporánea at CIDAP will be open until el 11 de junio. Hours are from 8-17:00 from lunes a viernes, and from 8-16:30 los sábados. Free.

Taller de autorretrato (Self-portrait workshop) – A workshop on self poitraits will be held este 28 and 30 de mayo from 10:00-18:00 in the Casa Patrimonial de Chaguarchimbana <next to the plaza with the sculpture of Vulcan rising out of a volcano>.It will be taught by Mariía Dalia Espinoza. Those interested in participating only need to go to the Casa with a sketch book, pencil and paints.

This week’s Corpus Christi celebration means piles of sweets around Parque Calderon and nightly fireworks. (El Mercurio)

Titular –

Cambio climático, una amenaza para glaciares (Climate change, a threat to glaciers) – <This is the ‘scare the socks off you’ article, but only if you believe in climate change.> The deshielo (melting <de-icing> – your word for the day) on Chimborazo is not stopping. Climate changes are evident. One of the most visible are the high temperatures in all cities in the country and the loss of glacial ice. The main danger of this is that the páramos will start to dry out and we will start to feel water shortages. <You might not like Leonidas Iza, but you have to give serious consideration to Conaie’s stance against extractive activities. Think about the slogans, “You can’t drink gold,” and “Water is life.”>

According to the registry of the Ministerio el Agua, Ambiente y Transición Ecológica (MAATE – Ministry of Water, Environment and Ecological Transition), there are 7 glaciers directly affected by climate change: Antisana, Cayambe, Ilinizas (north and south), Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, El Altar and Carihuayrazo. According to Bolívar Cáceres, from the Instituto Nacional de Meteorológica e Hidrología (Inamhi), one of the imminent threats is increase in temperature, a pattern which is expected to continue for the next 12 years. <Maybe if we all pray real hard and conserve water and energy, el Señor will take pity on us and cool the world down on the 13th year.> The melting on Carihuayrazo has been measured for 30 years. In 1956, there was about .33 km. of surface area with ice. There is now about 410 c. meters of ice. A study determined that Caruhuayrazo has been affected 96%.

Cuenca –

Estas son las zonas rojas en la vía Guayaquil-Cuenca (These are the red zones on the Guayaquil-Cuenca highway) – Different methods of assaults along the vía Guayaquil-Cuenca are causing terror. Thieves target travellers with suitcases, cargo trucks, and private cars. Mostly the assaults are directed at people travelling from the airport and terminal terrestre in Guayaquil. <Maybe because people coming from those locations have suitcases full of stuff from their overseas shopping trips?> Sometimes the robberies are done without the victims noticing, and other times the robberies are violent with the use of guns, especially at night.

There are several “red zones” that have been identified based on the frequency of robberies. One is “kilómetro 26” on the vía Durán-Boliche. Drivers going from Guayaquil to Cuenca via Molleturo or Cañar have to use this road. It is a 2 lane highway with long unlit stretches, but that have a lot of speed radars. Robbers take advantage of drivers who slow down to avoid speeding tickets. At kilometer 27, the delinquents take advantage of drivers who stop to buy fruit, food or drinks while thieves ransack their cars and escape. One vendor said that various business owners are only open from 7:00 until 17:00 to decrease the possibility of being crime victims. At night, the robberies are committed outside of the open businesses. She recommended not stopping at night, adding, “Es peligroso.” She said police response can be slow.

Another red zone is km. 33, between Taura parish and El Mango. A resident of that area said that at km. 33 there is a speed radar where drivers need to slow down and where they are intercepted by heavily armed criminals. Also, not too far from km. 33 is a dirt road which goes between banana plantations and from which you can go to sectors such as Milagro and Cañar. The robbers force drivers onto this road where they can take travellers belongings. This was where that method of theft was used in early April against 2 busetas taking people from the Guayaquil airport to Cuenca.

On el 15/5, the prefecturas of Azuay and Guayas delivered patrol cars to reinforce security, especially at km. 26. <I wonder how much that will help. A few patrol cars can’t be everywhere all at once.>

Cuenca tourism officials say fear of highway robberies is hurting tourism as many people are afraid to drive from Guayaquil to Cuenca. It is one reason many of flights between Cuenca and Guayaquil are operating at capacity, airport officials say.

De El Mercurio del domingo, 26/5 (1 article):
Hoy se bendecirán los dulces de Corpus (Corpus Christi sweets will be blessed today) – The sweets that are sold in the area outside the Catedral de la Inmaculada Conceptión were blessed at a mass this morning. This year, Corpus Cristi starts el 30/5 with sales from el 30/5 to el 9/6. Plans call for 90 spaces around the Old and New Cathedrals. For the fireworks and burning the castillos (castles), Parque Calderón will be pedestrian only from 18:30 to 22:00 from el 30/5 to el 7/6.

De El Mercurio del sábado, 25/5 (1 article):
100 reglas para ‘locales sanos’ (100 rules for ‘healthy premises’) – The Agencia de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria ARCSA) of Zone 6 has closed 12 restaurants in so far this year in Azuay, Cañar, y Morona Santiago for insalubridad (unhealthiness). Technicians found rodent feces, cockroaches, mold, flies, grease residue, dust, mold, spores, and dust mites next to food. <Makes going out to eat a lot less appealing.> The owners of these establishments can be fined up to $4,600 and can only reopen when they they correct all of ARCA’s recommendations. If there is a reoccurance, the establishment can be closed permanently and the violations turn into a crime against public health.

To incentivize hygiene and prevent food transmitted diseases, ARCSA has implemented the Sanitary Qualification Card with 3 categories. A is the highest for locations scoring a compliance rating from 90-100 points. This is followed by B which is an average rating with 80-89.9 points. The 3d is a Qualification in Progress which is for ratings below or equal to 59.9 points. In 2023, 51 A ratings were given, especially to restaurants, most of which were franchises. <Does that mean dining out in the near future will be restricted to McDonalds, Doña Menestra or Tutto Freddo?> So far in 2024, ARCSA is focusing on locations in Cañar and Morona Santiago.

Nacional –

Ecuador agiliza ingreso de turistas por las fronteras (Ecuador streamlines border entry for tourists) – Ecuador updated a ministerial agreement to streamline entry for international tourists at the north and south borders of the country. Now tourists can enter through the land borders not only by presenting their criminal record, but also with the SIMIEC system which is an Ecuadorian migration system. Niels Olsen, Minister of Tourism, said that all tourists who want to visit Ecuador via the land borders can do so with absolutely no problem. <Whenever you hear absolutely no problem from a bureaucrat, be prepared for tons of daunting paperwork. And, horrors, it will probably have to be done in Spanish. Can you imagine gringos stuck at the border because they can’t fill out the forms?> Controls on entering the country by land were increased last enero when Pres. Noboa declared the internal armed conflict against 22 criminal gangs. Tourism decreased significantly as a side effect. <Isn’t there something called the law of unintended consequences? Or something else about shooting yourself in the foot?>

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne