Meetings planned for two highway projects; Ecuador’s biggest Christmas tree lights up; Psalms in Hebrew, Spanish and Aramaic; Rules for international arrivals

Martes, 7/12/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Todo listo para el tributo a Queen (All set for Queen tribute) – There will be tribute to Queen by the Argentinean band Dr. Queen el sábado a las 20:00 in the teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz. Tickets are available on the TicketShow website, www.ticketshow.com.ec, and in the El Surtido store. Prices are $45 for Golden, $35 for Box, and $25 for Mercury.

Una noche “a la luz de los salmos” (An evening “in the light of the psalms”) – There will be show with artists Susan Reyes, a pioneer in Butoh dance in Ecuador; and Moti Deren, musician and composer, el proximo 14/12 a las 19:00 in the Teatro de la Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (CCE) Núcleo del Azuay. The program will have a selection of psalms sung in Hebrew, Spanish and Aramaic that will be manifested in the dance. There will be a limited capacity due to biosecurity measures with a voluntary contribution from attendees.

Mega árbol de Navidad (Mega Christmas tree) – Last Sunday night, the Fundación Municipal Iluminar and Centrosur encendieron (ignited (lit)- your word for the day <You could probably see that fire from all over Cuenca.>) the Christmas tree in parque Miraflores. It is the largest one in Ecuador at 35 meters with 60,000 lights. The giant nativity scene was placed next to the tree. They will be there until 6/1/2022.

Old news from sábado, 4/12 –

Ecuador’s biggest Christmas tree was lighted Sunday night in parque Miraflores.

Arte en El Vado (Art in El Vado) – The City of Cuenca Department of Culture will present “Vadeart” el próximo 11/12 a las 10:00. It will be a meeting of emerging art and design with a grafitti battle, fashion parade, feria and live music.

Muestra visual (Visual display) – The show “La Capira” by Galo Mosquera opened at the Casa Patrimonial Municipal Márquez. Hours will be from 8-16:30, lunes a viernes.

Titular –

MTOP busca solución técnica en el km 49 (MTOP seeks technical solution at km 49) – The Azuay Provincial Government is proposing a roundtable dialogue between the population of Molleturo parish and the Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas (MTOP) to solve the disagreements over the emergency at km 49 of the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme. MTOP filed a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office of Azuay over an apparent manipulation at the top of the hill to accelerate the fall of material. The community acknowledged that it has held mingas to stabilize the slope due to the slowness of the contracting process. Azuay prefect Cecilia Méndez went to the area with the machinery for cleaning the road and proposed the round table which was accepted by the residents. However, they did not permit the earth moving equipment to enter since their priority is to stabilize the slope. <Evidently by pushing everything down the hill onto the road? Fine if it works, but not so good if it causes the road and the slope beneath it to collapse bringing dirt, rocks, and Komatsu excavators down with it.> MTOP is open to a round table discussion even after having explained the contracting process to the residents. It is proceeding with the contracting process with the hope that work can start next week.

Cuenca –

Toca hacer peligrosos transbordos (Dangerous transfers) – The closure of the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme at km. 49, has created difficulties for people who need to get between Cuenca and Molleturo. Rural buses have opted to transfer passengers as an alternative. They run two routes each day, at 6:00 and at 13:00. Riders get off at the slide, walk over the large rocks blocking the road or along the slope, and get on another bus at the other side. The fare for Cuenca to the slide is $2.00. <Don’t know if this alternative connects to Guayaquil or not. And it would only be for those who are comfortable walking on a landslide with its attendant risks.>

Hay expectiativa por las licencias (Expectations for licenses) – El 31/12 ends the period during which drivers can drive with licenses that caducaron (expired – your word for the day) after 1/1/2020. Starting next year, driving with an expired license will cost you a fine of 50% of the Salario Básico Unificado (SBU), or $200 and a reduction of 9 points off your license. The license renewal process was suspended from 21/10 to 7/11 after a cyberattack on the ANT computers, prompting the government to allow driving with an expired license.

ANT announced that it had detected a large number of apointments with severe inconsistencies which had not been made in the regular manner. Because of this, it decided that people who made appointments before 21/10 for dates after 1/12 will need to reschedule their appointments. New security installed in the system to avoid the intrusion of processors (facilitators) in the appointments process, will not allow external modifications to appointments made by drivers. ANT will meet next week to analyze the possibility of extending the period that people can drive with expired licenses for another 3 months. <You think maybe procesadores were erasing people who had made appointments and substituting their client’s names?>

No habrá aumento en predios (No habrá aumento en predios) – <Get ready for this – the name of this law is a paragraph long> La Ordenanza de Aprobación del Plano de Valor del Suelo Urbano, Urbano Parroquial y Rural, de los Valores de la Tipologías de Edificaciones, los Factores de Corrección del Valor de la Tierra y Edificaciones y Las Tarifas (The Ordinance of Approval of the Urban, Urban Parish and Rural Land Value Plan, the Values of the Building Typologies, the Land and Building Value Correction Factors and the Rates.) was approved ayer. The Mayor and Council ratified that there will be no property tax increases in the biennium 2022-2023.

Este mes no se firmará contrato del acceso sur (South access contract will not be signed this month) – The Governor of Azuay, Matías Abad, referred to agreements reached with the Frente de Defensa Ciudadano, a group that is questioning the construction of the new southern access into Cuenca. The group presented 3 points it wanted addressed. The first was postponing the contract with Hidalgo&Hidalgo for as long as needed to clarify irregularities. An agreement was reached that no contract would be signed with any company until public notices have been made and there can be work sessions where not only technical issues can be discussed, but also social, environmental and community relations issues. Abad said that the necessary time will be taken to publicize the project to the neighbors, those affected, and everyone in the project’s area of influence. <That would be pretty much all of Cuenca if you include people who’ve ever used that entrance into the city?>

The 2nd point was holding an open public debate to support the different positions on the problem. In the beginning of enero, there will be 7 work groups set up. Participants would include a technical team from the Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas, Avalúos y Catastros (Ministry of Transportation and Public Works, Appraisals and Cadastral Surveys), and citizen representatives, especially neighbors in the sector and from different stretches of the project.

The 3d point considered possible corrections and solutions to the problem, and to seek fair individual negotiations at a market prices with the affected parties (indemnities). Abad said that the property assessments is the responsibility of the City and not the central Government, and he would invite cantonal authorities to the work groups.

Protocolo para pasajeros que arriban al país (Protocol for arriving passengers) – All people entering continental Ecuador on international flights are obligated to present the Declaración de Salud del Viajero in digital format when boarding the airline. The form is available from the Ministry of Health. All passengers over 16 years old, entering the country must present a Covid vaccination card at least 14 days old showing complete vaccinations and a negative RT-PCR test taken Children between 2 & 16 must present a negative RT-PCR within 72 hours before boarding the flight to Ecuador. Entry into Ecuador is prohibited to all persons whose point of origin, stopover or transit was South Africa, Namibia, Lesoto, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Eswatini, Mozambique, and Egypt. Citizens and permanent residents of Ecuador who were in those countries in the last 14 days, can enter the country, but they must present a negative RT-PCR done within 72 hours before boarding the flight to Ecuador, and complete a 14 day quarantine regardless of vaccination status.

Negocios –

Reducción de horas laborables se refleja en el décimo tercer sueldo (Reduction in working hours is reflected in the thirteenth paycheck) – The 13th paycheck, also known as a Christmas bonus, should be paid to your employees by 24/12. The amount due is the average of 12 months earnings from 1/12 of the previous year, to 30/11 of the current year. If, because of the pandemic, the number of work hours and therefore the employees earnings were reduced, the 13th paycheck will be the average of the reduced earnings. The payment can be made in 2 or 3 payments with a written agreement signed by employer and employee. Payment information should be entered into the Sistema Unico de Trabajadores, and if the payment does not exist, there can be an economic sanction. Employees can file a complaint with the Ministerio del Trabajo which can hold hearings where the employer is obligated to pay immediately. <Just as a clarification – the Christmas bonus is the 13th payment. The back to school bonus in August is the 14th payment.>

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne