New construction banned near Cajas National Park; Molleturo hwy. clean-up starts; Civil Registry extends hours; Art and history at Casa de las Posadas

Miércoles, 26/7/2023

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Historia y cine en la Casa de las Posadas (History and cinema at the Casa de las Posadas) – The Dirección de Cultura de Cuenca has prepared a series of events for those who enjoy history, film and the arts. The exhibit, ‘La agonía de Bolívar’ by painter Julio Blanco will be at the Quinta Bolívar until el 31/8 with hours from M-F, a las 8-16:30. The film, ‘La tragedia de Macbeth’ will be in the Biblioteca Municipal Daniel Córdova Toral el 27/7 a las 19:00. Meanwhile, artists will share writings, music, dance, and conversation from 17:00 at the Casa de las Posadas. All events are free.

Cuenca municipal authorities begin to enforce a ban on new construction near Cajas National Park. (El Mercurio)

De El Mercurio del martes, 25/7 (3 articles):
Exposición de acuarelas en la Galería Municipal (Exhibition of watercolors at the Municipal Gallery) – ‘Maleza,’ a new show by artist Gabriela Bernal will open mañana, 26/7 a las 19:00 in the Galería de la Alcaldía de Cuenca (calles Bolívar y Borrero). This show of watercolors was painted since 2019 in various locations including Cuernavaca, Hermosillo, y Córdova. Free.

Actividades culturales en la Casa de la Cultura (Cultural activities at the Casa de la Cultura) – There will be a series of events at the Casa de la Cultura this week starting with the show, ‘Cuento después del cuento’ jueves a las 20:00 in the Sala Alfonso Carrasco. The book, ‘Andanzas y sueños de Tigretón’ will be launched el 26/7 a las 18:00 in the Catalina Sojos auditorium. The work, ‘Mi sed de escribir’ by Eugenio Moreno will be el 27/7 a las 18:30, also in the Catalina Sojos auditorium. On the 28 & 29/7 Andrés Crespo will present ‘Nunca fuimos felices’ in the Sala Alfonso Carrasco.

‘Noche biblianense’, acto cultural por cantonización (Biblianense Night’, cultural event for the cantonization) – Biblán will celebrate its 79 years as a canton with sports, gastronomy, a civic parade and a Biblián Night which will be el lunes, 31/7 starting a las 19:00 in the Estadio Municipal. Several artists have been invited to perform.

Titular –

Caos y violencia carcelaria (Chaos and violence in prisons) – See article in today’s (miércoles) CHL for story.

Cuenca –

No más casas en zona que amortigua al Cajas (No more houses in the Cajas buffer zone) – 5 years ago, between Marianza and the 1st control booth to the Parque Nacional Cajas, you could see nature. Now the vista is different. When leaving Sayausí, the city continues along the road with cement buildings that have proliferated due to a lack of control. Most house businesses such as restaurants that hope to attract tourists. To put a stop to this, a commission has been formed with Etapa, the Comisión de Gestión Ambiental (CGA) and the Control Municipal. This commission has started control operations in the zones surrounding the Cajas. In the last 2 weeks, it has seen machinery removing earth that conducts the water to Cuenca in the Virgen del Cajas sector, construction without permits, and even a clandestine land fill. These encroachments into the buffer zone not only damage the ecosystem around the park, but have an impact on the quality and quantity of water going into Cuenca since the wastewater <sewage> from the businesses pollute the water sources for the city. <Would you take a crap in your kitchen sink and then make breakfast? Or make your coffee using water from the toilet bowl?>

The CGA said that in addition to control operations, the commission will create a registry of the buildings and businesses to comply with a plan of best practices including corrective actions for construction done without permits. <The most definitive, preventive, and deterrent action would be to tear the illegal construction down.> The Control Municipal will not allow any more construction in the zones around the park and has already started permanent patrols.

Actualidad –

Registro Civil alista amplición de horarios (Civil Registry Office prepares to extend hours) – People who need to get a cédula can make an appointment on-line at www.registrocivil.gob.ec. You need to pay the $16 renewal fee, which can be done on line, and then go back to the Agencia Virtual page to select a date and location to finish the paperwork in person. Everyone needs to make an appointment except for those in priority groups which include people who are seniors (over 65), pregnant, under 3 years old, disabled, and suffering from catastrophic or very complex diseases. If you are part of these populations you get preferential and direct service without needing an appointment.

For cedulization, the offices at Bellavista and El Batán are open from 8-17:00. The Registro Civil will extend their hours, either opening on weekends or with longer hours during the week to fill the demand prior to the 20/8 elections.

De El Mercurio del martes, 25/7 (1 article):
La vacuna bivalente contra Covid desde hoy (Bivalent vaccine against Covid starting today) – Phase Zero of the bivalent vaccination campaign against Covid started with medical personnel, prioritizing those who work directly with patients who have acute, serious respiratory infections. 68,000 medical professionals will be inoculated in the country’s hospitals during this phase which will take about 2 weeks.

The next phase will be focused on seniors over 65 and patients with serious and chronic conditions. Shots will be given in all the Type C Centros de Salud of the MInisterio de Salud Pública (MSP). Priority will be given to people with obesity; chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, and liver diseases; diabetes; renal insufficiency; HIV; immuno-suppression; transplant recipients; and oncological patients. It is estimated that 61,000 seniors will be vaccinated in about 3 weeks. After medical and at-risk populations, the vaccination will be available to the whole population. To get the bivalent vaccine, you should have the first 2 doses and the 2 boosters. You can get the bivalent vaccine 6 months after the 2nd booster. <And why don’t you all keep your comments to yourselves. You already fought about this during the first vaccines, and then again over the boosters, and I don’t want to read the same old s**t all over again. If you want the vaccine, get it. And if you don’t, don’t. Simple as that.>

Region –

De El Mercurio del martes, 25/7 (1 article):
Comienza el mantenimiento en la vía Cuenca-Molleturo (Maintenance begins on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo) – Cleaning along the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme started yesterday and will continue for 10 days. The work is being done per an agreement signed by the Municipio de Cuenca, the Gobierno Provincial del Azuay, and the Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas (MTOP). A total of 4 loaders, 17 dump trucks, a grader, a backhoe, a roller, an excavator, and the technical personnel started working in the slide zones. The most complicated 20 km. is from km. 86 to km. 106 with one of the most serious points is at km. 96 where falling rocks and soil are most dangerous. The agreement is good for 2 years during which the cleaning activities will be constant. Traffic was slow ayer and will be so until the cleaning is complete. <Don’t bet on the cleaning ever getting done completely. The slope won’t go away and neither will the rains.> Cuenca mayor Cristian Zamora said that this project is a milestone in that it’t the first time a Mayor, a Prefect, and a Minister have united.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne