Neighbors pitch in to support the military; City buys motos, cars for the police; Bomb scare turns out to be fireworks; Officials warn of spreading rumors

Viernes, 12/1/2024

Hola, Todos –

Titular –

Solidarios con militares (Solidarity with military) – Members of the Duran family in the Zhin Zhin barrio of Baños asked themselves how they could collaborate with police and military who were responding to the violence in Ecuador. One idea was to cook and deliver food. So on the morning of the 10th, they polled their neighbors to see if they would be interested in helping with buying ingredients and helping to cook. The tiendas and neighbors responded with chicken, rice, oil and spices and enough volunteers to prepare 225 containers of food and beverages.

Neighbors in the in the Zhin Zhin barrio of Baños prepare meals for the troops and police stationed at the Turi prison. (El Mercurio)

These were given to police and military working in the area near the prison. Yesterday the neighbors met again to make more meals not only for law enforcement stationed near Turi, but in other sectors of the city. The neighbors are hoping to get donations of water, cookies, fruit and colas. One said that they only want to help in these difficult times and join in helping those who are defending us. Anyone who wants to collaborate with food and drink can call 098 558 1461. <I know there are a lot of bakers out there who could make cookies. I haven’t met an Ecuadorian yet who didn’t like typical US cookie recipes, and I’ve fed cookies to quite a few.>

Cuenca –

60 automotores para patrullajes en Azuay (60 vehicles for patrolling in Azuay) – The Municipio de Cuenca and the Gobierno Provincial del Azuay have delivered 45 motorcycles and 15 vehicles to the Policía Nacional and Guardia Ciudadana (Policía Municipal). These will be used to patrol the city as well as rural zones in Azuay, mostly on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme where drivers have been attacked in recent weeks.

Cambio de medidores (Meter replacement) – As part of its annual maintenance plans, the Empresa Eléctrica Regional Centro Sur (ERCS) is replacing meters that have reached their useful lives. The project will run until marzo, 2024 and there will be no charge to the 6,000 ratepayers who will benefit. <So, if you see someone messing with your electric meter don’t shoot first. The questions getting asked later will be from the cops who come to arrest you.>

Hospital con moderno sistema informático (Hospital with modern information system) – The hospital “José Carrasco Arteaga” (IESS) has a new system for communication and archiving images that manages the images to allow correct administration of patient data. It will guarantee availability of archives all the time through a web interface. The register of images for a patient can be accessed independently of the department that generated the image, from an ultrasound taken in emergency to portable X-rays for OR surgery to cardiovascular lab catheterization studies. Doctors and other professionals were trained last 8 & 9/1.

De El Mercurio del jueves, 11/1 (1 article):

Cambio de domicilio electoral online (Change of voting address online) – The CNE in Azuay announced that voters can change their voting address online at www.cne.gob.ec. You need to upload your cédula or passport and a photo of the person holding ID. The applicant also needs to upload a utility bill or other document that shows your home address. These documents should be in PDF format and all the data is subject to verification to avoid false or altered information from being submitted. The CNE affirmed that citizens who have not voted in the past 4 elections or never did any paperwork with the CNE go into the Registro Electoral Pasivo (Passive Electoral Register). <Maybe you didn’t vote because you died?>

Sucesos –

De El Mercurio del jueves, 11/1 (2 articles):

Descartaron alerta por detonación de artificio explosivo en avenida (Alert for detonation of explosive device in avenue ruled out) – Police responded to alerts about an explosion on Huayna Cápac y González Suárez and verified it was fireworks and not a bombing. No one was affected and there was no damage except for some scared citizens. <Some Beavis and Butthead idiots at work.> Police inspected a nearby location and seized envelopes containing fireworks. They were delivered to military personnel who also made an inspection.

El ECU 911 señala que no se ha incrementado emergencias en al país (ECU 911 reported no increase in emergencies in the country) – Bolívar Tello, director of ECU 911 reported that an analysis of the number of emergencies reported between 9/1 a las 6:00 to el 10/1 a las 6:00 was 8,748 which is similar to the number of alerts in a normal day. The most reports were in Guayas and Pichincha Provinces. The 7,178 video surveillance cameras showed normal circulation of people and cars. There were fewer cars in different areas of the country due to suspension of in-person classes in schools and telecommuting by some businesses. In other areas there was traffic congestion. ECU 911 called for people to stay calm, get your information from official sources only, and not send out rumors and false news. <I know none of you would ever think of receiving dubious news from even more unreliable sources and immediately sending it out to your 5,000 best friends on several platforms as God’s truth.>

Nacional –

Listos diseños para las megacárceles (Mega-prison designs ready) – Pres. Noboa presented the designs for the 2 mega-prisons to be built in Santa Elena and Pastaza provinces. Each prison will have the capacity to house 736 prisoners and have super-maximum, maximum and high security modules; cell and satellite blocking; electronic systems with state-of-the-art technology; digital and analog access control; triple perimeter security; self-generation of electricity; water treatment <with a special valve to add sedatives to the water for inmates>; and armored construction and faceless guards <All guards in Phantom of the Opera masks?>.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne