Mothers Day serenades allowed; ETAPA is solvent again; Complaints lodged about vaccination lines; National Assembly debates online sexual crime law
Jueves, 6/5/2021
Hola, Todos –
I’m tired so this is going to be a short issue.
Actividades –
Nada.
Otras cosas –
Titular – “De una quiebra saliĆ³ ETAPA EP” (“ETAPA EP came out of insolvency”) – The Board of Directors of ETAPA will pick a new general manager tomorrow since JosĆ© Luis Espinoza, who has held the position for 2 years, resigned. Espinoza characterized the last two years as very complicated and perhaps the most difficult two years at ETAPA. He said when he started, ETAPA was practically “broken” and that the resultado operativo (net income?) in 2016 was $7 million, and by 2019 it was $1 million in the red. He reported that in 2020, the income was a positive $1.3 million and on a trajectory to reach $5 million in 2021. The budget for the City’s largest business is $138,780,000 and in 2019, gross income was only $116.69 million or $9.7 million/month. Income for enero of 2021 was $19,267,192.92. <That should make every cheapskate gringo happy – a profitable public company is less likely to raise rates.>
The financial picture at Cuenca’s public utilities companty ETAPA is improving. (El Mercurio)
La confusiĆ³n y los reclamos marcan el plan de vacunaciĆ³n (Confusion and claims mark the vaccination plan) – With an average of 5,000 doses per day, the vaccination plan is proceeding in el Austro (South). As of yesterday, members of the PolicĆa Nacional have been 100% vaccinated. SOLCA (Sociedad de Lucha contra el CĆ”ncer) is calling for cancer patients to update their full names, phone #, address and email to get an appointment. There were also complaints. Those who went to the Coliseo at the Manuela Garaicoa School yesterday had to wait in long lines in the sun due to the high demand. <Personally, I’d rather wait in the sun than pouring rain, but then, I’m not disabled nor do I have a catastrophic disease.> Medical interns at the U. of Cuenca said they are exposed to the virus but are not on the list for vaccines.
Locations for vaccinations and the population being vaccinated are as follows:
1. Universidad PolitĆ©cnica Salesiana and Coliseo Jefferson PĆ©rez – Adultos mayores, scheduled by CNT.
2. Centro de AtenciĆ³n al Adulto Mayor en Cuenca and Centro ClĆnico de Azogues – Adultos mayores and IESS retirees.
3. Colegio Garaicoa – People with disabilities or catastrophic diseases and health personnel.
4. Colegio TĆ©cnico Salesiano – Teachers.
COE autoriza que mariachis den serenatas (COE authorizes mariachis to serenade) – After insistent requests from various fronts, the COE will allow mariachis, musicians, and artists to serenade this Mother’s Day weekend, as they did last year. El DĆa de la Madre is one of the most important sources of income for mariachis. They must meet certain conditions including being on the Registro Unico de Artistas y Gestores Culturales (RUAC), have no more than 8 people in the group, and perform between 8:00 – 21:00 on the 7, 8, & 9 de mayo. Musicians and singers cannot enter the houses, should carry masks, comply with social distancing, and perform on the sidewalks.
Debaten pena de 10 aƱos de cĆ”rcel para “ciberacoso” (10-year prison sentence for “cyberharrassment” debated) – The Asamblea Nacional is close to passing a law that would establish sanctions of up to 10 years for digital sexual violence. According to activist Isabella Nuques, 90% of the victims are women between 15 & 30 years old. The Asamblea received the law Para Prevenir y Combatir la Violencia Sexual Digital y Fortalecer la Lucha contra los Delitos InformĆ”ticos from committee and will have its 2nd debate. The law will create 14 types of crimes with some carrying a penalty of 10 years in prison. One objection to the law came from the vice-president of the Consejo de ProtecciĆ³n de Derechos de NiƱos y Adolescentes since the law does not differenciate between sanctions applied to adults and to minors who should receive sanctions of a preventive character and not penal.
Descuentos y compras –
TĆa – Mother’s Day sale – 40″ smart LED TV- $299, blender – $19.99, bonbons from $.99, hair dryer and accessories – $15.99 and more.
And thatĀ“s all for today so Hasta ? –
Jeanne
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Editorās note: Jeanneās Periodico is a translated digest of news from the Cuenca daily newspaper El Mercurio. If details, such as event dates and times, do not appear in the translation, they did not appear in the newspaper (please donāt ask her for them). The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< ā¦ >), is Jeanneās personal opinion and not part of the news translation.
