March for Water draws thousands; El Niño rains will begin in late September; Retiree group demands that IESS not sell assets; Colombia faces energy crisis

The second Great March for Water drew thousands of protesters Wednesday to Cuenca’s historic district. On the way to a program of speeches, music and dance in San Francisco Plaza, march leaders dropped off a letter at the government building on Parque Calderon demanding President Daniel Noboa officially rescind the mining concession at Quimsacocha and end all mining in the páramos of Azuay Province.

The marchers, chanting and carrying signs and banners, included members of dozens of environmental and social organizations as well as students and faculty from four universities.

Thousands joined Wednesday’s Great March for Water through the historic district.

“We have accomplished our mission today in delivering our message to the government and our numbers demonstrate our resolve,” a spokeswoman for the Azuay Cabildo del Agua said following the march. According to two drone-generated crowd estimates, 55,000 to 60,000 participated in the march.

According to police, the march was peaceful with “no major disruptions or acts of violence” reported.

El Niño rains will begin in late September
Rains related to El Niño will begin by the end of September in coastal areas and could continue into early 2027, the National Institute of Meteorology reported Tuesday. “The frequency and intensity of the rains will increase in the coming weeks and will continue in October and beyond,” Inamhi said in a bulletin.

“We are entering a period of “atmospheric transition” as a result of increasing water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean,” the weather service said. “We expect the heaviest and most sustained rain to occur in November, December and January along the coastline and in the littoral region.”

Inamhi warned that the current El Niño is “extremely strong, possibly the strongest on record,” and that communities subject to flooding or landslides should make final preparations. “We expect the impact of this system to follow previous patterns in which the coastal region will experience heavy rain while the sierra above 1,500 meters elevation will experience drier than normal conditions.”

The statement added that the impact of El Niño could continue into February 2027 before “normal weather conditions begin to return.”

Retiree group demands that IESS not sell assets
The Commission for the Defense of Social Security said Tuesday it is prepared to “take to the street” to stop the Social Security Institute Board of Directors from selling real estate and other property.

On Monday, IESS officials said it had identified 175 properties in Guayas, Pichincha, Manabí, Santa Elena and Azuay Provinces it plans to sell to fund pensions and health services. The properties were identified following President Daniel Noboa’s order that IESS sell “idle assets to maintain services and operations.”

According to a spokesman for Noboa, the idle assets have a value of more than $2 billion.

Ramiro Beltrán, president of the Social Security defense commission, claimed it is “outrageous” that the government would demand IESS sell its assets when it owes $40 billion. “If the government pays its debt, IESS does not need to sell anything,” he said. He added that many of the properties on the Board of Director’s list are clinics and offices that are currently in use. “Clinics will be closed, especially in poor communities, if these sales take place.”

Colombia says it faces an energy crisis
Colombia is facing a “severe shortage of electricity” as the El Niño weather system approaches, a consultant to Colombian President Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella said Wednesday. Juan Mora said the country must begin immediately to take “more extreme conservation measures” to protect power generating facilities.

Last week, the government announced plans to reward consumers who use less electricity and fine those who use more in the coming weeks. According to Mora, the program is a “good beginning” but does not go far enough. He said discussions are underway with the Energy Ministry and private and public electric generators “to protect national interests.”

Among the energy conservation measures already taken is the reduction of electricity sales to Ecuador and Venezuela. Three weeks ago, Ecuador received daily power transfers of 350 to 400 megawatts. On Wednesday, only 6 megawatts were transferred.