IESS plans upgrades, Electric company may move, Alianza Francesa culture festival, Crime report, Theatrical tour visits churches

Martes, 27/8/2019

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

TitiriCuenca – The 9th edition of the International Puppet Festival will start el 14 del décimo mes <What’s this 10th month business? Why can’t the writer just say 14 de octubre?> with workshops for artists. The presentations to the public by puppeteers will be from el 19-27/10 and feature titeres de mesa (hand puppets performing on a stage similar to a table). So far, companies from Argentina, México, Uruguay, Italy and Ecuador have confirmed their attendance.

Rutas teatralizadas – The Teatro Barojo started the first theatrical route at the iglesia Santo Domingo and expanded to the Museo de las Conceptas, the Casa de las Palomas, Parque Calderón, the crypts in the New Cathedral, the Old Cathedral, San Francisco and Todos Santos. The next performance will be el viernes, 30/8 a las 19:00 in the Seminario San Luis.

The puppets are coming!

2nd Urban Culture Festival – This festival by the Alianza Francesa de Cuenca will be from 12-26/9 with special artists “Sémor” from Nantes and “Ador” of the FAIRE collective. On el jueves, 24/10 there will be a concert by pianist Maxime Zecchini performing the concert for left hand by Ravel in the teatro Carlos Cueva at the University of Cuenca. El 25/10 he will perform with the OSC.

“Conoce al artista” – There will be a program el próximo jueves a las 18:30 in the old Escuela Central to “Meet the artist.” There will be an interactive tour of the works of Gustavo López Moreno in his show, “Dimensiones Internas.” Attendees can also discover the art of chocolate at the Open House of Altísimo Chocolatería y Bistro. <The heck with the art – show me the chocolate.>

Taller – The Community Cine workshop ends el 31/8 at the Fundación Munay.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Insiste en traslado de Celec (Insisting on transfer of Celec) – A group of employees of the Empresa Pública Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP – all cognates, yours to translate) are worried because of layoffs and dislocations which were announced el último vienes. Soldiers went to the offices to hand out the notices and to ask people to gather their belongings and leave the building. CELEC’s headquarters are in Cuenca, but the General Manager wants to move it to Quito in spite of the statement earlier this year by the Minister of Energy and Non-renewable Natural Resources that the headquarters would stay in Cuenca.

IESS – Corrective actions were taken before a divestment of $6,000 million from the Pension Fund in order to ensure the continuation of IESS. A reduction of 1,600 officials, and a surplus in operations for $500 million were announced by Paúl Granda the president of the Superior Council of the IESS. <Remember him? The ex-mayor on whose watch the Tranvía was hatched?> Currently each IESS hospital buys medicines independently and not always with the best planning. IESS is preparing to implement a more modern system in which $500 million will be invested. <I hope that includes the medicines and is not just for the system.> IESS is also looking to implement software that will track medicines to the point they are given to the patient. It is preparing a pilot program in Cuenca and Riobamba for medical services, and a telemedicina project in the north and the Galápagos so patients can consult with doctors over the phone. <How many of you are ready to talk to your doctor over the phone with any kind of confidence?> Another issue is that of pensions <which would apply only to the few gringos who have been here long enough to work and qualify for one>.

Turismo en Girón – Girón is looking to become a touristic powerhouse with the construction of 3 new projects: an elevator en El Chorro, a crafts plaza, and placement of 20 stalls near the entrance to the center of the canton. At El Chorro, the city is considering 4 alternatives – an open air panoramic elevator at least 40 m. and preferably 120 m. high <not something for the acrophobic>; improvements to the existing stairs which would only benefit tourists capable of climbing them; a cable car; and a tramway. The stairs and tram are the cheapest alternatives. The plaza and booths would sell local products including textiles, and agricultural products.

Parque Nacional Río Negro-Sopladora – The Ministerio de Ambiente (Environment), the cities of Sevilla de Oro y Santiago de Méndez, the parish juntas of Amaluza y Copal, and government non-profits are writing a plan to manage the Río Negro-Sopladora National Park situated between Azuay and Morona Santiago Provinces. The 30,616 hectare park with almost intact mountain forest and páramo ecosystems, was created in enero de 2018, and is home to over 546 species of plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals including tapirs and the Andean bear which are considered bellweather species. Currently, the only access is an old road known as the ruta del Padre Albino del Curto which was opened in 1916. <And has probably not been improved since.> Juan Carlos Flores from the Unidad de Ambiente of the Municipio de Sevilla de Oro said there will be a 3-day hike in the first week of septiembre to define the points where the signage and shelters will be placed. An estimated 200 people will participate. <Don’t know if the public is invited or if it’s just for officials. Up to you hikers to find out for yourselves.>

Accessible tourist route – Cuenca has a new accessible tourist route to attractions such as MMAM, San Sebastián, Calle Bolívar, Plaza de las Flores, New and Old Cathedrals, Calle Santa Ana, Seminario San Luis, and the Museo Pumapungo. <I wonder if it is truly accessible to someone in a wheelchair. Like sending someone down the north side of Calle Larga between Borrero y Hermano Miguel.>

Crime – According the Ministerio de Gobierno and the Instituto de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC), crime is up nationally. In the first 6 months of this year compared to the previous year, robberies of persons is up by 9.43%, car theft up by 23.8%, motorcycle theft by 19.8%, intentional homicide by 29%, and robberies of businesses by 5.5%. Cuenca bucks the trend, with actually dropping in several categories. <Do you still feel safe here?>

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. The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.