In Cuenca, VP admits health system is ‘sick’; Seniors get telecom price reductions; Fines hiked for zoning violations; Corpus Christi sweets on sale til Saturday

Jueves, 10/6/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Del cuerpo del periodico –

Dulces de Corpus (Corpus sweets) – 58 producers will be selling Corpus Christi sweets until el sábado from 10-20:00 at the Portal Artesanal (Huayna Cápac y Bolívazr) and Cemuart (General Torres y Pres. Córdova). Another 45 are selling though a digital catalogue available at the Empresa de Desarrollo Económico (EDEC EP) and Fundación Turismo para Cuenca websites.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Falta de medicinas, otro mal que a diario sufren pacientes (Lack of medicines, another evil that patients suffer daily) – VP Alfredo Borrero visited the “José Carrasco Arteaga” hospital (IESS) yesterday where he talked to some patients, including a woman who was scheduled to start chemotherapy but couldn’t when she was unable to get medications she needed. The VP, who is from Cuenca, also visited the hospital De La Mujer y el Niño and the vaccination center at the Manuela Garaicoa school where he vaccinated a few people. <I wonder if he practiced medicine until his election and if he could give a painless shot the way the medical brigades who have been vaccinating people can?>

Borrero commented that at a national level, “la salud está enferma” (health is sick) and said there is a lack of supplies and equipment, and promised to combat and avoid acts of corruption in the sector. He also said that the country is in negotiations for 2 more types of vaccines. One is CanSino from the República de China (sic) <It’s from the People’s Republic of China and not Taiwan> and one of its main advantages is it is only one dose. The other is the Sputnik V. from Russia which has authorization from the Agencia de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria de Ecuador (ARCSA) to enter the country. During the visit he installed Fausto Idrovo as the new coordinator of the Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP) in the zone. <Pop quiz – what is the number of the zone that includes Azuay, Cañar and Morona Santiago?>

Hospital administrators and doctors told Vice President Borrero that they lacked medicine and supplies during his visit to Cuenca.

Rebajas en tarifas (Reductions in rates) – <This is teaser item.> La Agencia de Regulación y Control de las Telecomunicaciones (Arcotel) announced that the regulation that enables and facilitates the application of telecommunications exemptions and rebates for adultas mayores is in effect. The resolucion was published on el 17/2/2021. <I can hear the thundering of sensibly clad gringo feet stampeding to the local phone and internet offices to claim their senior discounts.>

Altas multas en nueva norma de control de suelo (High fines in new land control rules) – After 6 debates and 2 years, the Concejo Cantonal approved the Ordenanza de Control para el Suelo Urbano, Suelo Rural y Suelo Rural de Expansión Urbana del cantón Cuenca (Control Ordinance for Urban Land, Rural Land and Rural Land of Urban Expansion of the Cuenca canton) on el 23/4. On el 31/5, this ordinance superceded the one that had been in effect since 13/9/1995. Pablo Cordero, Director of Control Municipio, said the ordinance is necessary for urban development and planning since citizens are not complying with the process for building and using urban spaces. This ordinance will increase fines for people not abiding by the ordinance which specifies mild and severe infractions. Fines for mild infractions can be from one to 25 salarios básicos (SBU). Severe infractions can be fined from 25-50 SBUs.

Authorities will start to apply fines on 23/6 to people who are building without permits issued by the City of Cuenca. Other changes the ordinance makes are that projects in the Centro Histórico no longer require a guarantee (or escrow?), permits good for one year will now be good for 3 years, and something else good for 1 year is now good for 2 years. Critics called the fines exhorbitant. The city responded that the goal of the ordinance is not to sanction people. It is an instrument that can stop construction without permits. Before fines are applied, the infractor has a chance to get permits or remediate any damage caused. <I wonder if draconian traffic fines were applied, if Ecuador would turn into a nation of good drivers? Would a fine of $500 stop drivers from making left turns on red lights?>

Cuenca activa un Itur-Virtual (Cuenca activates an Itur-Virtual) – Through CuencaBOT which is a virtual assistant that responds to questions to the City of Cuenca, citizens can access Itur-Virtual to get touristic information about the city. The purpose of the Itur-Virtual is to connect the user directly with a tourism agent via WhatsApp. To get to this information, go to ChatBOT on http://www.cuenca.gob.ec/, You can also bring your phone closer to the CuencaBOT QR code or write to the numbers 09987631790, 099469939, or 0960049954 and ask your tourist question and get an answer from Itur-Virtual. <I don’t know if this is confusing because I’m a computer illiterate or because the article is confusingly written.> Itur-Virtual and CuencaBOT are also affiliated with the Hoteles Full Vacaciones app.

Proyecto eólico para generar energía limpia (Wind project to generate clean energy) – Electro Generadora del Austro (Elecaustro) is building the Proyecto Eólico Minas de Huascachaca in the canton of Saraguro in Loja, at the border of the canton Santa Isabel in Azuay. It will generate 50 MW of clean and renewable energy. Phase 1 which is finished included construction and improvement of roads and a bridge. Phase 2 will include the wind turbines, collector circuit, a substations, and a 138 KV transmission line. The project is expected to start operations in the first quarter of next year.

A las puertas de perder cargo, Celi se enferma (On the verge of losing office, Celi falls ill) – Comptroller Pablo Celi will use up his leave without pay el sábado and is on the point of losing his job if he can’t arrange something besides preventive prison for his role in the “La Torres” case. He is appealing to be fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet which would allow him to continue working. Under the labor law, a worker who is unjustifiably absent for more than 3 days is considered to have abandoned his job. He is also facing impeachment in the Asamblea. Complicating his situation is his diagnosis of Covid after he started running a fever and had difficulties breathing. He was transfered from the Cárcel 4 to the Eugenio Espejo hospital in Quito.

And that´s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne