Martes, 7/3/2017: Ecuador to U.S.: ‘Mind your own business,’ Women’s Day, Correa sacks Army commander, Trauma center

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Today’s (Tues.) agenda events –

Cine – The Alianza Francesa was the location for two movies Tues.  “Dos mujeres y una vaca” (Two women and a cow)  (Sounds like the start of a joke) was part of the Film in a Backpack series, and “La pirogue” was the regular “martes de cine francesa.” Wed.’s Backpacker movie is “Los Colores de la Montaña” at 4.

Articles about –

Biblioteca Municipal – The Public Library will change to open stacks.  In the current closed system, the books are restricted and the borrower has to fill out a requisition slip with the book, author, etc and give it to a librarian who then has to go find it.  The books can be read in the reading room.  The library is trying to make it easier for students and researchers.  The collection of 50,000 volumes is heavy on the humanities: literature, history, law, etc.  Libraries have had to compete with the internet.  (How about putting in some recreational reading?  Unless libraries are primarily research libraries here.)

New publisher – A group of 15 people has formed the “Editores Independientes del Ecuador” (EIE – Independent Editors of Ecuador) to edit, print and distribute books.

Curso de fotografía – The CCE will give a workshop on photography for kids from 10-14 on viernes, 17/3 from 15:30-18:00.  In the course, kids will make their own box camera (can you still buy film?).  For info, go to the CCE (Pres. Córdova y Luis Cordero, 2nd floor).  Cost $35 including materials.

Homenaje – As part of Womens’ Day, the Economuseo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla (The Straw Hat Museum) will offer an homage to the hat weavers mañana, 8/3.  The museum will also have 15 workshops – 5 for apprentices, 5 on design for people who already know how to weave, and 5 on other straw crafts. On the 16-18/3, there will be a “Cuenca se pone el sombrero” (Cuenca puts on her hat) on the Calle de los Artistas which sets up on Sucre next to the New Cathedral.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Excomandante se va con malestar (Excomandante leaves with discomfort) – The Commander of the Army (don’t know what the head honcho is called in English) was relieved of his duties by Pres. Correa, and Edison Narváez appointed.

Run-offs – Lasso is talking about convening a Constitutional Assembly to dismantle what Correa has established.  (Echos from the north.)

Hospital – The Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital has built and equipped an Intensive Care Unit for Trauma and Emergencies and an Intermediate Care Unit for Preeclempsia.  (Had to look that up – it’s something that 5% of pregnant women suffer from.)

Reports from US – The Ecuadorian government responded to reports from the US that criticized the country in the area of human rights and the fight against drug trafficking by demanding the cessation of these reports given that the issuer lacks “legitimidad moral” (moral legitimacy).  Chanciller Guilllaume Long also added that the US is neither policeman nor judge of the world, and such reports do nothing to strengthen the bilateral relationship nor cooperation in the prosecution of crimes. One report put Ecuador on the list of the main places in the world for money laundering and the other cited the lack of an independent judiciary; restrictions on freedom of expression, the press, gatherings and association; and corruption.  (The last is certainly the pot calling the kettle black.)

Your sliver of life item for today is – An announcement by the Ministerio del Ambiente (Environmental Ministry) and ETAPA for a public meeting and especially for residents of the Machángara Parish on the Ex Post Draft Environmental Impact Study for a wastewater treatment plant in Ucubamba.  (This is also a civics lesson.)  The meeting will be in the ETAPA auditorium at the Ucubamba Wastewater Treatment Plant on the vía a Paccha on miércoles 8/3 at 16:00.  You can get a copy of the draft study at the plant or at their multi-service center in Gapal (10 de Agosto y 27 de febrero – there really isn’t a convention for capitalizing stuff here – it’s not even consistent in one writer.) until miércoles, 15/3. Public comments can be received until 15/3 at o.mejia.facilitador.mae@gmail.com.  (I probably shouldn’t put the address for public comments.  Too many gringos sitting in front of their computers yearning to talk about any issue, whether or not they know anything about that issue.)

Womens’ March – The Federación de Barrios de Cuenca is inviting all women and neighborhood leaders to a March for Womens’ Rights mañana at 9:30 starting from Doce de Abril y av. Loja.

A sliver from a different life – The agricultural community of Nangaritza now has a road which was opened over the weekend so that the 50 some families served can finally get home in a car. The 12 km. of road which cost $1.2 million, was built “en minga” (in a minga) with provincial, cantonal, and parish governments providing machinery, people and material; and the beneficiaries the hard labor.  (I think this might be the community that started cutting their own road last year.  What’s that called – taking the initiative?  Gotta love this country.)

Impuesto a la Renta (Income Tax) – March is the deadline for natural persons with income over $11,170 to pay taxes.  If you don’t need keep books, fill out form 102A available on www.sri.gob.ec.  There is a new service called Declaración Borrador (Draft Statement) which lists expense items and you just fill in the amounts. (Assuming you can read those expense items.)  If you have to keep books, use form 102 available in the program DIMM Formularios.  If you work for one employer, the form 107 you get is also your tax declaration.

Inflation – February’s inflation rate was .20% with a Feb, 2016 to Feb. 2017 rate of .96%.

Cerveza (is there really a gringo out there that needs a translation?) – Club is launching Club Premium Negra at a gala on jueves, 9/3 at 19:00 in la Quinta Lucrecia.  The beer was introduced in 2014, initially as a limited edition.  Consumers voted in 2016 to keep it in the line-up.

Internacional –

Colombia – The AG of Colombia confirmed that Odebrecht assumed campaign expenses for Pres. Juan Manuel Santos as well as his competitor Óscar Iván Zuluaga in the 2014 elections. Odebrecht assumed the payment to a publicity firm for Zuluaga. (I think he’s aligned with Ex. Pres. Uribe.  The guy who upended the first peace agreement with FARC.)

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne