Mall del Alto brings new stores to Cuenca; Korean trade deal is approved; Businesses are asked to generate their own electricity; Living at altitude

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del viernes, 20/3) Cenace alerta “déficit” de energía (Cenace warns of energy shortage) – El Operador Nacional de Electricidad (Cenace) asked private businesses on the Coast of the country to start using their generators, mostly during hours of peak consumption, in light of a electricity deficit warning. According to the official letter from Cenace, which was made public by energy analyst Darío Dávalos, the requirement for contribution from private businesses was carried out in consideration of “the sustained reduction of water inflows, as well as the occurrence of multiple unplanned contingencies at the power generation facilities.”

A pedestrian bridge over the Azogues autopista is under construction connecting the Mall del Rio to the new Mall del Alto. (El Mercurio)

Businesses are being asked to generate their own energy on weekdays from 19:00 to 23:00, and from 18:00 to 22:00 on weekends and holiday, and to prioritize periods of peak demand. Dávalos explained the alert was given due to the increased consumption on the Coast where there is a heat wave and because of the lessening of contributions from Coca Coda Sinclair which has had a diminished water flow.

(De El Mercurio del viernes, 20/3) Un nuevo hito comercial (A new business milestone) – The Mall del Alto, developed by the Grupo Ortiz through the Inmobiliaria Piedra Huasi, will open to the public el 22/5 a las 10:00 following a private opening the day before. <I’m predicting huge traffic jams on the autopista.> The $100 million complex will contain 110,000 sq. m. of construction on 5 levels: 2 levels of parking for 750 cars on each level, and 3 commercial levels with one focused on entertainment and dining. Juan Fernando Cordero, manager of the Inmobiliaria said it is a space that will interact with the city, that comes into view <and does it ever come into view – it overwhelms the hill it’s on>, and incorporates environmental criteria.

There is a rainwater capture system which will irrigate the 5,000 plants on the facades, interiors, and hillsides. There is a 6,000 panel solar system capable of generating 3 MW of energy. 80% of the brands in the mall will be new to Cuenca and include H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Purificación García, Quiksilver, Banana Republic and Krispy Kreme, and Strelli Milano which carries high end brands. In addition, there will be national and local businesses, a bookstore and specialty stores, There will be 140 stores and 80 commercial islands. Some openings will be gradual such as Starbucks <as if Cuenca doesn’t have enough coffee shops>. The food area will be divided between a traditional food court and a gourmet zone with table service.

Beside shopping, there will be a 1,500 sq. m. gym, a banking zone with smart ATMs and personalized consulting. <Will the ATM let you apply for a mortgage or car loan and approve it, too?> There will also be an 8,000 sq. m. Coral Centro where you can “interact” with products before you buy them. <This probably implies a no return policy since you had the chance to take the gizmo out of the box and plug it in before you bought it.> The entertainment zone will have a bowling alley with immersive technology <special glasses that give you the ball’s eye view of its progress down the lane into the pins or down the gutter?>, an electric karting course on 3 levels, movie theaters, and a large scale playground.

The Mall del Alto and Mall del Río will be connected with a pedestrian overpass of 46 m. without center supports and with electric sidewalks and green areas. Manager Juan Fernando Cordero said this is a first world overpass, which only cities such as Qatar or Dubai have. This commercial corridor which also has the Centro Convenciones in the Mall del Río and the 4 Points by Sheraton Hotel will contain about 400 brands. The developers envision this complex as the “Ciudad Comercial del Río.” <I wonder how this will affect the merchants in El Centro?>

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 21/3) Bajan caudales en las represas (Water levels dropping in the reservoirs) – According to the Empresa Pública Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP), on el 20/3 the river flow of the río Paute dropped to 54.64 cu. m. per second, the lowest level registered this month. On the 12th & 13th, the flows reached 246.94 and 247.46 cu. m./sec. among the highest since 1983, the first year the data was taken. This decrease has also affected the Complejo Hidroeléctrico Paute Integral which is composed of the Mazar, Paute-Molino, and Sopladora hydroelectric plants where water levels in the reservoirs behind the dams have also dropped. This complex generates about 38% of the electricity consumed in Ecuador.

There are new uncompleted or proposed hydroelectric plants. Cardenillo is one which needs to be finished to complete the Paute complex. Santiago, located in the Tiwintza, Limón Indanza, and Santiago de Méndez cantons needs an investment of $3 billion. Elecaustro started the Proyecto Hidroeléctrico Soldados-Yanuncay in diciembre of 2021, but suspended it after acts of vandalism in the area. <I think neighbors disabled or torched a large piece of construction machinery.>

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 21/3) Limitan al 50% la carga de combustible de avión (Aircraft fuel loads limited to 50%) – Turbine powered aircraft that refill in Ecuador will receive only 50% of their normal capacity from el 21 to el 28/3, due to scarcity. <Do I need to name the parties responsible for this scarcity?> The Dirección General de Aviación Civil (DGAC) informed the airlines of this temporary measure in the supply of Jet A-1 fuel, especially in the Quito and Guayaquil airports. The decision was made to protect the stock of fuel in the country while the process of getting fuel into the country from overseas is completed. This measure will allow the continuity of air operations in an orderly manner and give priority to air ambulance flights, State flights, and emergencies. <Got to make sure that the Prez. has enough av-gas to jet off to Miami whenever he wants to.>

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 21/3) Petro da por superado el incidente por una bomba (Petro considers the bomb incident to be over) – Colombian Pres. Petro said that both countries agree on the need to get beyond this incident without consequences to bilateral relations, especially in matters of security. He said he issued a diplomatic complaint against the Ecuadorian government. But after Armed Forces personnel (I think Ecuador’s FF.AA.) verified the origin of the bomb and determined it had gotten onto Colombia’s side of the border after it rolled a few meters, Petro declared the matter over. <The Air Force is bowling with bombs?>

(De El Mercurio del domingo, 22/3) Corte avala acuerdo comercial entre Ecuador y Corea (Court approves trade agreement between Ecuador and South Korea) – The Corte Constitucional issued a favorable ruling on the constitutionality of the Acuerdo Estratégico de Cooperación Económica between the República del Ecuador and the República de Corea, a requirement prior to ratification. The agreement was signed el 10/10/2023 and seen favorably by the Court after the verification of the negotiation, subscription, and procedure according to law. It also reviewed the articles of the agreement needed to conform to the Constitution, the laws regulating Ecuador’s economic integration into the global economy, and those related to protection of health, environment, rights of nature, and others.

(De El Mercurio del domingo, 22/3) Causas y efectos del mal de altura (Causes and effects of altitude sickness) – At higher elevations with lower atmospheric pressure, the implication is that each breath delivers less oxygen to the blood. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness or aturdimiento (a fainting feeling?>, difficulty breathing, fatigue and weakness, more cardiovascular effort to maintain performance, lack of appetite, nausea or vomiting. <or death? – in small print like the warning on drug labels.> The percentage of oxygen available in the air for organisms varies with altitude. It decreases from 21% at sea level to 16% at 2,000 m., to 14.4% at 3,000, to 12.7% at 4,000 and to 6.3% at 9,000. Mexico City is at 2,240 m., Cuenca is at 2,550 m., La Paz is at 3,650 m., and Mount Everest is at 8,848m.