Miércoles, 12/2/2017: U.S. and Ecuador look at trade, Electric bills skyrocket in Argentina, U.S. artist at CIDAP, Tranvía

Hola, Todos –

Sorry for the truncated issue yesterday.  I guess computers are as imperfect as humans.  And in case you were wondering, people steal water meters for the bronze parts so it doesn’t mater that the meters have ID numbers.  The thief isn’t trying to sell the whole meter.

Pagina cultural –

Upcoming and ongoing agenda events –

Diágolo – On el jueves at 19:00 there will be a dialogue on one of the most relevant poets in the 20th Century, Miguel Hernández, in the Biblioteca de la Casa de la Cultura.

Articles about –

CIDAP – CIDAP is calling for artisans interested in participating in the Festival de Artesanías de América which will be from 2-5 de noviembre.  You have until 30/4 to submit your proposals, with selection of exhibitors in mayo.  To guarantee a transparent selection process, artisans need to send in their sample work under a pseudonym.  This will insure that the selection is made based on the quality of the work, only.

The Festival in Noviembre will also include parallel sections such as Original peoples, Living patrimony, an Exchange of Experiences, and an international film series.  There will be a special section, the “Medalla CICAP” (CIDAP Medal – which I’m guessing is a very prestigious thing to earn) for invited participants to submit an unshown work.  The “País Invitado” area will be dedicated to an invited country not part of the Festival.  Last year it was India.

CIDAP – A new exhibit by North American Kimberlly Wood, will open Thurs. at 19:00.  She works in produce art.  (I can tell that needs an explanation.)  Her pieces are made of thin slices of mandarinas, beets, or kiwi which are dried, treated to stick together, and hardened with the final product resembling paper.

Bienal – The Bienal closes this domingo with closing events that started Wed.  At 19:00 in the Centro Cultrual Casa de las Posadas (Gran Colombia 17-44 y Octavio Cordero), the show “Tijuanerías” by Mexican artist Hugo Crosthwaite (a name like that sounds like it should have originated in Puddleby on the Marsh) will be opened.   On jueves there will be a conversation “La Bienal y la ciudad” at 19:00 at MMAM.  It will be about the impact of the Bienal on the citizenry.  (As far as I can tell, not much. If anyone had an epiphany because of the exhibit, let me know.)  On viernes at 18:00 there will be a talk by Mexican artist Yazmín Guerrero in the Sala Comunitaria at the Museo Pumapungo.   There will be a conference on Sat. morning and the official closing ceremony at 18:00 at MMAM.  (The culture here seems more formal – greetings and goodbyes, inaugurals and closings, etc.)

Workshop instructors – CCE is looking for people to give workshops in dance, music, theater, and drawing and painting. These instructors will be selected through a competitive process. Instructors will be paid from the registration fees.  Your workshop needs to serve 12-20 participants with 2 sessions of 2 hours each per week.  The courses will last 6 months and need to create a final project.  The hours will be from 15-17:00 for workshops aimed at 8-12 and 13-16 year olds and from 17-19:00 for 17-23 year olds.   Go to the secretary at CCE to find out the requirements and pick up the participation package.

Book – “Los procesos penales – Los procedimientos en el Códico Oránico Integral Penal” (Criminal proceedings – The procedures in the Integrated Criminal Code) by attorney, ex-judge and professor Simón Velivieso Vintimilla is a study of the process for criminal proceedings according to the 2014 law.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Se apaga la vida de “Moncho” (Life of “Moncho” turning off) – Archbishop emeritus Monseñor Luna of the Archdiocese of Cuenca, is receiving palliative care in Quito.

Petroecuador – A prepatory hearing and a reading of opinion in the case Alex Bravo, former manager of Petroecuador, has been postponed for a 2nd time.  He is charged with illicit enrichment which carries a sentence of 7-10 years.  His attorney wants a speeded up process in which Bravo would accept the infraction in exchange for a shorter sentence.  (Is that a good old plea bargain?)  The sentence would be a third of the minimum penalty.  The Comptroller established an unjustified increase of Bravo’s assets by $500 million which “sobrepasa” (exceeds, surpasses) what you would think a public servant would make. (Ya think?)  He still faces charges of bribery and organized crime.

US/Ecuador trade – The two countries are analyzing including roses, brocolli and artichokes in the list of preferred items.  (If Bush was still president he might delete the brocolli.)

Film launch – (I think this is in the news section and not the cultural section because of the film’s content.)  The Attorney General’s office has produced a film, “El juego sucio” (The dirty game), which premiered in Madrid yesterday.  It’s the story of the 2 decade long legal battle with Chevron and is about a US journalist who comes to Ecuador to investigate the supposed fraud that Chevron accused the Ecuadorian courts of.  He finds the consequences of the environmental damage the company caused.  The film will premier in Ecuador in octubre and can be seen on the internet in either Spanish or English.

Voto 2017 – Ecuador has 5 representatives in the Parlamento Andino which also includes Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Perú. There are 11 lists of candidates and the first 11 candidates were introduced today.  (4 more days of Parlamento candidates.)

10th Ride – Officials commanded by Wilson Meneses, from the Birgada de Artillería #7 “Portete” toured the sites for the 10th commemoration of the Portee (?) de Tarqui which happened on 27/2/1829.

Tranvía – Wed. was the deadline for the CCRC to justify why it hasn’t finished the project.  As of yesterday, the Municipality had not received any documentation.  (If it came it probably was delivered one minute before the office closed, and we’ll find out tomorrow.  Or if you have TV, you’ll find out tonight.)

Wall – Fernando Vega, former assemblyman, felt that a wall between the US and Mexico (which is really a wall between the US and all of Latin America) would increase illegal immigration. He described the Pres. as “un conservador recalcitrante, que tiene ideas poco actualizadas de lo que es el mundo globalizado.” (A recalcitrant conservative, who has outdated ideas of what the globalized world is.) He worried that many Ecuadorians who have had problems with the law will be deported.  (Hopefully Ecuador doesn’t do tit for tat and start deporting those of us who conduct illegal businesses and evade taxes.  (And yes, I know what evading taxes means.))

U of Cuenca – There is not one spot left in any of the 49 majors it offers, at the U. of Cuenca for the marzo-agosto semester.

Drink tickets – La Guardia Ciudadana issued 94 citations in enero for drinking in public.  The fine, which rose when the basic salary rose, is now $187.50.  At Feria Libre, the police cited two people for selling alcohol without the “registro sanitario” (sanitation registration) from small bottles in their backpacks.  (Juan and José’s Pop-up Cantina.)

Intercultural – It’s fruit season in Bulán Parish in Paute.  The fruit is harvested between diciembre y mayo.  Early peaches and apricots are picked in deciembre, pears and reina claudia plums in enero, traditional peaches in febrero, apples in marzo and abril.  There was a Feria de las Frutas el sábado pasado.

Internacional –

US – “Trump fulmina a la fiscal general” (Trump rants about Attorney General) – Acting Attorney General Sally Yates ordered her department not to defend the executive order banning refugees and immigrants against lawsuits.  She was not convinced that the order was legal.  Then she resigned.

San Francisco – San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced that the City of SF has sued the Pres. over his decision to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities.  The suit, the first legal response, argues that the order violates the 10th Amendment to the Constitution (The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people).  There are some 300 sanctuary cities in the US.

Argentina – Electrical rates rose and in Buenos Aires, increases were between 61% and 148% higher than in marzo.  The Minister of Energy and Mining said that 83% of the 4.75 million people in the capital would see an increase under 200 pesos ($12.40).

Colombia – This week, about 6,300 FARC members have entered the transitional zones.  A WSJ article was cited that said a Brazilian criminal group (Primer Comando de la Capital) is recruiting dissatisfied FARC members to extend their drug trafficking network.

Discuentos y compras –

Colineal (furniture, in case you just got off the plane) – Liquidation of floor samples – up to 50% off – 30/1 to 5/2 – 10-20:00.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne