Martes, 19/4/2016: Local supplies head to victims, International aid too, China provides $2 billion, Up to 200,000 in distress

Hola, Todos – 

I’m glad that there readers out there who enjoy the “straight” news, but it’s absolutely no fun for me and therefore not much reason for me to do these translations since reading the paper is no longer improving my Spanish.  I’ll try to do “straight” news for a while until my options are quit from exasperation or go back to the bad jokes.  At which time the comments and parentheses will be back, maybe formatted so those of you who wish to, can more easily ignore the commentary.  Any other feedback?

Pagina cultural – 

Vinyl – The República Sur (Pres. Córdova 5-55) is having “Melomaniática. Feria del Vinyl” on Fri & Sat with sales and exchanges of more than 10,000 records.  Cost: $2.00.

Experimento sonoro (Sound experiment) – “Geluidswater.  Agua sonora) combines percussion, voices and electronic sounds.
The event is tomorrow at 19:00 in the Sala Comunitaria del Museo Pumapungo (Calle Larga y av. Huayna Cápac)  Free.

Títeres y teatro (Puppets and theater) – “Memorias de la Señora Olvido” will be Sat. at 11:30 in the cento cultural Avispero (Calle Larga 10-41) under the Museo del Sombrero.  For reservations call 098 495 7196 or go to tucupaelgato@mail.com. Cost: $5.00.

Articles about –

Cultural riches that aren’t being protected – Yesterday was the Día Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural, Monumentos y Lugares de Interés Histórico y Artístico (National Day of Patrimony for Culture, Monuments and Places of Historic and Artistic Interest). The goal of declaring the day was to promote awareness of the vulnerability of cultural heritage and spark interest in its preservation.

Colombian cine – A film series started today at the Casa de la Cultura.  The movies will be shown at 10:00 to students, and at 19:00 to the general public.

“Adriana Lucía,” a documentary is tomorrow’s movie, “Los viajes del viento” (The Voyages of the Wind) is on Thu, and “Del amor y otros demonios” (About love and other demons) is Fri.

Earthquake news –

Titular – Rescate y solidaridad (Rescue and solidarity)  Cuenca and Azuay are showing hearfelt solidarity by collecting and sending supplies.  In Manta, the greatest need is water, followed by food which are starting to be scarce.

Portoviejo mourning – Water and places to live are the priorities of the Portoviejans. Marcos Párrago, Fire Captain, is in charge of finding survivors. He asked that people stay at a distance and not impede their work which needs silence so they can hear any survivors.  Heavy machinery is being used to move the debris, but they stop work periodically so that rescue teams can enter and look for signs of life, or for bodies.

International aid – Aid is coming in from many countries.  These include disaster relief, search and rescue, and medical teams as well as money. Canciller (Sec’y of State) Guillaume Long said about 500 experts from Venezuela, Colombia, Perú, México, Cuba, Bolivia, Chile, Switzerland and Spain are helping.

Credit from China – China has given Ecuador a loan of $2 billion.  $1.5 billion has a term of 8 years with 2 years grace at an interest rate of 7.25% with the money becoming available in the next few weeks.   The second chunk of 3,255 yuan, equal to $500 million, has the same terms at a rate of 6.87% and is for specific projects.

Pres. Correa – says that the reconstruction “tomará años” (will take years).  He reported that the loss of electricity has also prevented the provision of  water which is being transported from other places in the country.
      Electric service is being restored but is difficult and dangerous due to toppled poles and downed lines. He has appointed individuals in his government and cabinet to coordinate recovery activity – VP Jorge Glass in Manta, Water Secretary Carlos Bernal in Portoviejo, Interior Minister José Serrano in Pedernales, Management Policy Sec’y Paola Pabón in Jama & Canoa.  Overall coordination of relief efforts will be done by the Defense MInister Ricardo Patiño and Security Coordinator César Navas with technical support from Risk Management Sec’y Luis Jaramillo.
Correa has ordered that bottled water companies deliver their production to the gov’t as required with the possibility of directing their total production to affected zones.

Victims – The Red Cross’s preliminary estimate of the number of victims is between 100,000 and 200,000 with about a 2 year period for recovery.  Juan Cueva Ortega, Director of the Ecuadorian Red Cross says it is launching the “Solidaridad Efectiva” (Effective Solidarity) Campaign.  It will open accounts in the Banks of Guayaquil and Pichincha to receive cash donations.

SOLCA Guayaquil – SOLCA suffered major cracks forcing relocation of 80 chemo patients to a different area in the same hospital.  Other areas affected in Guayaquil including precautionary street closure in front of the edficio Cosmocento and the 3d bridge on av. Perimetral where one lane is closed to traffic.

Two Canadians – Jennifer Mawn and Arthur La Flamme were among those killed in the quake.  3 Cuban doctors were also killed in Manabí when the building they were in collapsed.

Blood donations – The Red Cross and a Quito Hospital are asking for blood donors, especially types AB, O positive, and O negative.

Medicines – Medicines, medical supplies, and medical personnel are urgently needed.  Individuals and businesses can bring them to the office of Coordinación Zonal 6 de Salud (Zone 6 Health Coordination) on Tadeo Torres.  (I am going to list these in Spanish.)  Most needed are Ketorolaco, lidocaína w/ epinefrina, tramadol, diclofenaco, ibuprofeno, dextrosa en S.S, cloruro de sodio, enoxaparina, metoclopramida, cefazolina, ampicilina, enalapril, losartan, fluoxetina y amitriptilina. Doctors, anesthesiologists, trauma docs, surgeons, neuro-surgeons and nurses can go to the same place.

General needs – Besides food and medicine, there is a need for potable and bottled water, plastic plates and glasses but not disposable, industrial garbage bags, disposable diapers both baby and adult, powdered milk, baby food and repellants. The City will have caravans that go to the barrios to pick up donations.

Cash donations – The following institutions are receiving cash donations.
From outside of Ecuador, acc’t no. 101602 in the Banco Central, SWIFT code FLARCOBB.  Intermediate bank – Bank of America, NY SWIFT code BOFAUS3N and checking acc’t no. 01121807 payable to CCU Secretaria Gestión Riesgo/Planta Central.
MIES (Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion) – Banco Nacional del Fomento – checking account no. 3001033189 payable to BCE Secretaria de Gestión de Riesgos.
Direct transfers – to Banco Central del Ecuador, checking acct no. 01121807 payable to CCU Secretaría Gestión Riesgo/Planta Central del Banco Central del Ecuador.

Suspension of services – MIES is temporarily suspending service at the Centros Infantiles del Buen Vivir since their staff are working on earthquake relief.

Church towers damaged – Two Azuayan church towers were damaged including one in Pucará Cantón and the second in the Zhidmid Parish in Gualaceo Cantón. Religious celebrations have been suspended in Pucurá.  Cracks have been found in walls at the Conservatorio de Música “José María Rodríguez” in Cuenca.

Cuenca has a high level of vulnerability – A study by the Seismic Network of the South by the Department of Engineering at the U of Cuenca reveals that local structures are not prepared for a strong quake.  Historically, Cuenca has had quakes of 6.5-7 likely to occur in a period of 475 years with a probability of 10%. The shaking we felt was 30 times less than at the epicenter. Locally there is the Girón fault line which extends from the north of El Oro Province to Chimborazo.  It is 15 km deep and capable of an intense earthquake.
The Red Cross recommends that citizens be prepared, try find a safe place, don’t use elevators or escalators, and avoid windows and objects that can fall.  After a quake check, on your family and stay out of your house if it’s damaged.
Recommended contents for your emergency backpack include a battery operated radio and batteries, cereal bars (check expiration dates), matches and candles, plastic bags, copies of keys to your house and car, a light and thin blanket, personal documents about your family and house, chocolate, first aid kit for injuries, bottled water, flashlight, extra clothing and alcohol in gel/hand sanitizer.

Otras cosas –

Ciclopaseo – Bike rides for children will be arranged in the rural parishes after the success of the El Centro ride.  EMOV has 60 bikes and helmets it lends to the children who participate. Rural barrios and parishes who want to organize a ride need to have at least 60 children pre-registered.

Water scarcity in Sinincay – about 50% of the ratepayers of the Sistema de Agua de Sinincay have been affected by loss of water service including one that lasted 3 weeks.

Intercultural – 

“La Asociación Proqueso de Shaglly” – is a community organization in Shaglly, Santa Isabel cantón which has started making teabags with ancestral medicinal plants. The plants in include tipo, chuquiragua, oreja de burro and others.

Internacional – 

Brazil – Roussef is “triste” (sad), but ready to defend her presidency.

Colombia – Pres. Juan Manuel Santos announced that a peace agreement will be signed with FARC this year and hopes that ELN will show good faith and start negotitions.  He also said that the world needs to rethink the war on drugs since the current strategy hasn’t shown results.

Deportes –

FFC15k – the Festival Fundación de Cuenca 15k will be run this Sun. at 9:00 from the sector Unidad Educativa De La Salle. Registrations closed 17/4, but there are still 150-200 places at Mi Boletería at Mall del Río.  Pick up your race kit on Sat in the Convention Center at the Mall del Río between 10-17:00.  You must bring the factura you received when you registered.

Ultramarathon – Club a Correr and ACSAM are planning a 100km marathon on 31/7 from Biblián to Yunguilla.  The regulations and requirements will be the same as previous marathons.  For more info go to www.acsam.net.

Discuentos y compras – 

Libri Mundi – discounts – 18-24/4 – Hermano Miguel 8-14 y Sucre and Mall del Río, Local B41, lower level.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne

P.S.  I can`t help commenting.  As a country, it looks to me as if Ecuador has responded the way an extremely functional and competent family would after a disaster befalling a family member.  Let’s all be part of this family and help.