It’s colada morada Saturday at Hogar Cristo Rey; Sink hole closes road to Turi; Andean bears at San Blas; AI and QR codes resurrect the dead at city cemetery

Bored? –
(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 14/11) “Cuenca Pet 2026”, feria lista para próximo mes (“Cuenca Pet 2026,” a feria set for next month) – The “Cuenca Pet 2026” fair, which seeks to promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, will be held next 14/11 starting at 8:30 in the Hotel Oro Verde. There will be 60 brands offering products, services, educational activities and spaces to entertain dogs, cats and their families. <So what would entertain a cat besides a nice, long nap followed by a can of tuna?>

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 14/11) Hogar Cristo Rey ofrecerá colada morada el sábado (Hogar Cristo Rey will offer colada morada on Saturday) – The Hogar Cristo Rey will be selling colada morada el sábado to collect funds to serve the seniors it houses. The event will start a las 11:00 in the Plaza San Francisco. A liter will cost $3.50 and a glass will cost $1.00. Guaguas de pan will cost $0.50 each. You can order by calling 07 282 2893, 099 033 8354, 099 813 0693. <Dust off your Spanish, or if you have none to dust off, get your facilitator to call for you.> The Hogar Cristo Rey stand is part of the event organized by Jeferson (sic) Pérez as part of the traditional night route which is part of the fiestas de Cuenca. <For you newbies and tourists, Google colada morada if you don’t know what it is, and Jefferson Pérez if you don’t know who he is.>

The exhibition “Ukumari: The Gardener of the Forest” includes 20 sculptures of the Andean bear at Parque San Blas in the historic district. (El Mercurio)

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 14/11) Conciertos y libros en la agenda de CCE (Concerts and books on the CCE calendar) – The CCE’s calendar for the 14 to 17/10 includes concerts, book launches, a conference, and dance. On el sábado, 17/10 there will be 3 activities. A las 11:00, the vocal ensemble Mallku will perform a concert in the Auditorio Catalina Sojos. A las 18:00, Pablo Mériguet Calle will launch “Teoría del fracaso,” a prize-winning book of poetry in the Sala Alfonso Carrasco (Luis Cordero 7-22 y Pres. Córdova). Also, a las 18:00, the dance and tradition school Kaypimi Kanchik will perform their show “Día de la Interculturalidad” in the Teatro Casa de la Cultura.

Also, 4 permanent exhibitions are open. “Azuay de Ébano. Cuenca también se escribe con raíces afro” will run until el 23/10 in the Vitrina Galería de Arte (Pres. Córdova 7-23 Luis Cordero. The cultural show “Azogues Pueblo Mágico” will be in the Galería Manos Azuayas until el 24/10. The exhibit “Sinincay Vibra Artesanal” will be in the Casa de la Cultura Núcleo del Azuay until el 27/10. Lastly, “Al fin, perdidos” by Gonzalo Vargas M. will be at the Sala Proceso (Luis Cordero 7-22 y Pres. Córdova) until el 30/10. <Plenty to see and do this week, so no reason for you to be bored.>

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 14/11) Arte Circular: en la Calle Santa Ana (Circular Art: on Calle Santa Ana) – The 7th edition of Arte Circular, a social-environmental initiative by SEGINUS is coming to Cuenda el 18/10 after a stop in Guayaquil. The show has works made from old tires, parts from electrical devices, and raw materials from batteries. The pieces conform to the theme, “Formas y Colores de la Diversidad Ecuatoriana” and make references to plants, animals and landscapes of the country. 8 works from this year’s edition are shown in the Calle Santa Ana including one of the winners. 4 large scale pieces are shown in Nuhaus. Admission is free but requires pre-registration. The show continues until 24/10. <Demonstrates that one man’s garbage can be another’s treasure.>

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 16/11) 20 esculturas de osos andinos en San Blas (20 sculptures of Andean bears in San Blas) – The parque de San Blas is the site for the Ukumari exhibit, El Jardinero del Bosque. It has 20 sculptures of Andean bears or spectacled bears <They should be as treasured as pandas for their cuteness.> The show seeks to raise awareness about the conservation of the species and the ecosystems it inhabits. The bear provides an ecological function in forests and páramos by spreading seeds and promoting natural regeneration of vegetation. The exhibit uses artistic representations of the animal to show the public the importance of protecting biodiversity. The show moves out of San Blas today (el viernes) to the Jardín Botánico de Cuenca.

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 14/11) Tierra se hunde en Turi crece la preocupación (Ground sinks in Turi; concern grows) – The Camino a Turi has been closed after a sinkhole was seen last lunes. Residents are worried because they have seen other failures in the road including deep fissures and settling of the roadway. A group of residents expressed worry about fissures in the garages and structures of their houses which are close to the intersection with the access to the Megaparque de Ictocruz.

Parish authorities met with representatives from the Municipality of Cuenca to analyze the situation and look for solutions. Milton Jarama, president of the Turi Parish Junra, said the sinkhole was produced by earth movement caused by the construction of a shopping center below <I’m guessing he’s talking about the Mall del Alto.> However, he said an agreement has been reached with the contractor to make repairs under that direction of the Parish GAD and Cuenca Public Works Department. Among the planned work are drilling to place piles to stabilize the soil and the construction of 3 stepped retaining walls. With regard to the other damage to the road, there still isn’t a solution since who is responsible has yet to be determined by a legal analysis. Meanwhile, access to the Turi lookout will be from the vía a El Tablón and the access to the Turi jail.

(De El Mercurio del miércoles, 14/11) Cobraban hasta USD 5.000 por cargos (They charged up to $5,000 for jobs) – Civil servants in the Ministerio de Educación operated a ring that sold public jobs in educational institutions for between $1,500 and $5,000. El martes, 3 people were arrested in raids, two of houses, and the 3d in the offices of the Ministerio de Educación. R. Ayala was arrested so charges could be filed. He was the principal actor and was investigated because his job in maintenance did not justify the million dollars he was moving through his bank accounts. The other 2 need to give their versions after which the Prosecutor’s office will decide whether to file charges of soliciting a bribe. John Reimberg, ministro del Interior, said that the investigation will not stop with these 3 people. There are more people involved, including some high ranking officials.

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 16/11) El Cementerio incorporará IA (The cemetery will incorporate AI) – The Cementerio Patrimonial de Cuenca will incorporate AI to recreate 25 famous people who are buried there and allow visitors to learn their histories. Luis Andrés Peñafiel, manager of the Empresa Municipal de Cementerios y Servicios Funerarios (EMUCE EP) said the project will start in noviembre. The initiative is part of EMUV’s strategy to consolidate this funeral space into a place of historic memory, cultural access, and new experiences for the citizenry. The first phase encompasses 25 of the more than 118 famous people buried there and will gradually include the rest, with the project finishing in 2027. The proposal will increase the use of QR codes which already allow consulting biographic information. EMUCE is planning on extending this service to any citizen at no cost, with families deciding what information they want to share. <Uncle Louis was the biggest lush Cuenca has ever seen, but to his credit, he was always a happy drunk. However, Aunt Ethel — well, you knew Aunt Ethel…..> T

The modernization will also include the rooms for wakes, installing security cameras and speakers, and changing the lighting to LED. There will be a new wake room with glass walls and a 360-degree view of the cemetery. For the Día de los Difuntos, EMUCE will have cultural activities from el 30/10 to el 2/11 with night walks including theater <a Thriller flash mob?>, open air movies <Night of the Living Dead?>, a lantern night, an outdoor Mass, serenades, and visual projections. El 2/11 there will be a Mass a las 10:00. The cemetery will be open until midnight those days. Regarding capacity, EMUCE will build new burial spaces to respond to demand for at least 2 more years. <After all, a lot of us baby boomers have one foot on a banana peel, and are about to slide off in the not-so-distant future.>
___________________

Information in this column, including dates, times and locations, is courtesy of the El Mercurio newspaper. Comments between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), are the personal opinions of the author and not part of the news translation.