Manabí earthquake, Quimsacocha, Police crack-down, Top Ecuador chefs prepare dinner, Book fair

Lunes, 21/8/2017

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Upcoming agenda event –

Book Launch – A new book by Eliécer Cárdenas, “Tres gaviotas en la piel” (Three seagulls on the skin) will be presented el miércoles a las 19:00 in the Museo de la Ciudad (Gran Colombia y Benigno Malo). <That would make a nice tattoo – 3 seagulls.)

Articles about –

Agenda 21 – A plan to convert culture into an axis of sustainable development in Cuenca “está en marcha.” (on the march.) Cuenca is one of 12 cities in Latin America that is part of the Agenda 21 pilot project which dictates that local governments need to guarantee universal access to culture. Cuenca has presented the “Plan Estratégico Cantonal de Cultura al 2030” for public discussion. The plan is a tool to establish a long range, democratic, cultural vision in the city.

VI edición del Certamen Hispanoamericano de Poesía Festival de la Lira – This international poetry festival will be from 6-9/11. 69 writers have been selected to compete. The competition is organized by the Banco del Austro Cultural Foundation which was inspired by the old Fiesta de la Lira which was held in Cuenca in the 1920’s.

Book Fair – Guayaquil will host the 3d International Book Fair from 6-10/9. There will be 40 national and 8 international writers, book signings, talks, commercial booths, etc. It will be at the Centro de Convenciones. Cost: $3.00 general and $1.50 for children y tercera edad. <Is it possible that there’s any gringo living in Cuenca who does not know what “tercera edad” means?>

5th edición del Premio y Festival de Periodismo Gabriel García Márquez will be from 28/9 – 1/10 in Medellín, Colombia. There will be 46 free activities, many of them available on line, including talking to people who knew the writer and were close to him. The program is at www.premioggm.org.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Loja de fiesta con “La Churonita” (Loja parties with “La Churonita”) The Viegen de El Cisne arrived in Loja <The foto shows the Virgen coming in that ceremonial Medieval castle looking entrance into Loja.> Many devotees walked 75km. in a 3 day pilgrimage. She was carried by soldiers of the Brigada de Infantería Número 7 (7th Infantry Brigade?) of the Armed Forces. <And guys who look like Secret Service to keep people from jostling the soldiers. Looks like La Chorunita has more security than the President.>

Sismo (earthquake) – A 3.7 quake struck at 13:00 ayer <remember ayer? yesterday?) 10 km. from Rocafuerte in Manabí Province. There was no information about injuries or damage.

Quimsacocha – The Citizens Participation Commission of the National Assembly took part in a ceremony on the banks of the lake and approved a motion to monitor (?) the water and audit the mining grant process at the Ministries of MInes and Environment. <Uh-oh – another corruption scandal waiting to be uncovered?> One speaker wanted all of Ecuador to be declared free of metals mining and said 12% of the land in Ecuador is in mining concessions. <Including oil?>

Your sliver of life article today is – EMOV has painted zebra crossings at the intersections leading to 160 schools in both rural and urban parishes. <How do you paint a zebra crossing on a dirt road?> Crews are working in 3 shifts. An official said that there would another round of maintenance in febrero when the first term ends.

Police controls – The police are increasing controls when vehicles enter and leave town to prevent assaults and transportation of arms and illegal substances. They are searching private vehicles and buses and passengers. Buses have been boarded by a gang member who forces the driver to stop and pick up more members who rob the passengers. Recently robbers in a pick-up tried to block a bus whose driver evaded the blockade and then was shot at and hit. <That’s why the searches.>

Amenidades –

Vallenato – After the success of the first “Las Voces Originales del Vallenato,” the show is coming back to Cuenca on 16/9 at 20:00 in the estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar. Tickets range from $20-45. Get them on line at www.ticketshow.com.ec or at the almacenes la Victoria in El Surtido, Monay Shopping or at Musicalísimo at the Mall del Río.

Food event – 5 Ecuadorian chefs will present the best regional dishes in Ecuador at a dinner in the restaurante Tifozzi (Remigio Crespo toral y Federico Proaño) este viernes a las 19:00. Cost: $18.00/person. <If you got 5 good almuerzos representing 5 regions for $2.50 each, that would only be $12.50…..plus travel.>

Internacional –

Miami – The Dolphin Mall, where many foreign tourists shop, <I wonder how many of those are Ecuadorians?> reopened after a false report about gunshots fired.

Venezuela – Pres. Maduro is making counter accusations against ex-A.G. Luisa Ortega Díaz.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne