Hundreds of Ecuadorians held at Mexican airports; Correistas announce budget opposition; Cuenca wins in championship series; Lasso gets high approval

Hundreds of Ecuadorians are being detained in at airports at Mexico City, Monterrey and Cancun, Mexico because they cannot prove that they are tourists. Due to lack of lodging plans and vacation funds, Mexican immigration authorities believe that those being held in storage facilities at the airports intended to attempt to enter the U.S. illegally.

Deportiva Cuenca pressed the action Saturday in the women’s football championship series.

Authorities blame two airlines for not checking documents required for travel to Mexico for Ecuadorian. The “proof of tourism” rules went into effect last week. Beginning Saturday, September 4, Ecuadorians are also required to have a visa to travel to Mexico.

Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry said it is in talks with Mexican authorities to return those detained to Ecuador. The ministry said that most of the estimated 300 being held are from Azuay, Cañar and Loja Provinces.

Correistas announce budget opposition
The Correista Union of Hope (UNES) announced Sunday that it will oppose the budget proposed by President Guillermo Lasso. The opposition was expected after the indigenous Pachakutik party announced its budget rejection on Thursday and assures the budget will not pass in its current form.

“We will not approve a budget that turns its back on the people,” UNES said in a statement. “The proposal demonstrates a government without social sensitivity and that lacks a vision to meet the needs of citizens.”

In particular, UNES says that education and health care would receive “far less funding” than necessary under the Lasso budget and that no provision is made to pay the arrears due the Social Security system.

In presenting his budget last week, Lasso said his goal is to cut $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion from the previous budget, saying that Ecuador “must live within its means.”

Cuenca wins in football championship series
The Deportivo Cuenca Leonas are one win away from their second national footbal championship in three years following a 3-2 victory over the Los Chillos Ñañas Saturday in Quito. The second in the three-game series is scheduled for September 11 at Cuenca’s Alejandro Serrano Aguilar Stadium.

Justine Cuadra scored the winning goal for Cuenca at the 82 minute mark following earlier scores by Nayeli Bolaños. The Leonas had pressed the action throughout the game, controlling with the ball 62 percent of the game.

President Guillermo Lasso

Lasso’s approval hits new high
In the latest Cedatos-Gallup poll, President Guillermo Lasso’s approval rating increased to 74.1 percent, a three-point increase from the previous poll. An average of four recent polls, give the president an overall 72.4 percent approval rating.

Polling analyst Gorge Miller says Lasso’s popularity is based primarily on the success of his vaccination program against the Covid-19 virus. “Although he receives support for his efforts to create more employment, his approval for handling the pandemic, which is a phenomenal 96 percent, is the biggest factor in his popularity.

Miller cautions, however, that it is very early in Lasso’s administration and that his numbers will almost certainly drop. “At this point, Lenin Moreno’s popularity was above 80 percent. By the time he left office, they were 15 percent.”