New Sheraton hotel completed, Vietnam Week agenda, Dance Festival, San Francisco Plaza contract

Miércoles, 19/7/2016

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Today’s agenda events –

Visita a museo – There was a visit to the museo Remigio Crespo Toral Wed. Kids involved with the Somos Familia (We are family) <Do you remember that song?> visited. The program is to give children from rural sectors the opportunity to see the museum.

Upcoming and ongoing agenda events –

Book launch – “Más acá de la frontera” (Closer than the border) by Aquiles Jimbo Córdova will be presented on 27/7 a las 19:30 in the teatro Sucre.

Poetry slam – A “Combate poetico” (Poetic combat) will take place on 3/8 a las 20:00 in the Cinema Café in the CCE. There will be 12 poets competing, each with 3 minutes.

Articles about –

Book launch – “Underground” will be launched mañana a las 19:00 in the Museo de las Conceptas.

Festival de Danza Wainaiyamu – The festival will be jueves y viernes with Andean music and dance groups from Perú, Bolivia, Argentina y Ecuador. The first show Thurs. will be at 19:00 in the teatro Pumapungo. The second will be el viernes a las 9:00 in the centro cultural Takiriq (Gran Colombia y Unidad Nacional). Cost: $10.00.

Taller – There will be a film workshop for 5-12 year olds from 8-25/8 at Manscupia. For more info call 099 533 2739. Cost: $85.00. <Film workshops don’t seem to be for poor kids.>

Vietnam International Week – 20-22/8
Jueves 20/7: 10:00-opening ceremony in calle Santa Ana, next to the cathedral; 10-18:00-Vietnam exhibit in calle Santa Ana; 17:30-Vietnamese lanterns workshop in El Patio Comida Urbana (17 de Febrereo y Francisco Cuesta)
Viernes, 21/7: 10-18:00-Vietnam exhibit in calle Santa Ana; 19:00-Vietnamese performance in Mall del Rio
Sábado 22/7: 10-13:00-Vietnam exhibit in calle Santa Ana: 10-14:00-Closing of Vietnam International Week; 10-14:00-Gastronomic Fair <mmm, a nice big bowl of pho with beef tendon>; 11:30-Traditional dances; 12:00-Painting contest, “Amistad entre Vietnam y Ecuador” (Friendship between Vietnam and Ecuador). All events free.

Otras cosas –

Titular – La petición de juicio a Glas muere en el CAL (Petition to try Glas dies in CAL) – The Consejo Administratación Legislativa (The Legislative Administration Council) with 5 AP and 2 opposition members, turned down the petition for a “juicio político” (a step in the impeachment process). The grounds for the rejection was that only 1 document out of the 28 “pruebas” (proofs) submitted mentioned Glas directly and indicated any possibility of criminal liability. This is the only document that refers to Caminosca and attached is a certification from a representative of the company saying that the arbitration award is being appealed. The document was not signed and with it was a confidential document from the US. José Serrano, President of the National Assembly, said the document was not valid and had been obtained illegally.

Contract cancelled – The contractor for the San Francisco Plaza did not contest the city’s unilateral cancellation of the contract when it was discovered the consortium would have been ineligible to bid based on a family relationship between a former city employee and a member of the consorcium. <If you’re a masochist you can go to www.elmercurio.com.ec and read all about Articles 64 and 95 in the Law for Public Contracting.> Meanwhile, the consorcio Delcon Consfercor continues work on the Tixán potable water treatment plant. The contract, which was signed early this year, is under investigation for alleged influence trafficking. 5 people are being investigated in ETAPA by the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Bomberos – The fee for firefighting services will be collected by the electric companies in the country. Fees will be .5% of the Basic Salary for residential service, 1.5% for commercial service, 3% for small industrial service and 6% for heavy industry. <This is the kind of stuff you just knew about in the US – like who funded the fire department, but which is all new here. That’s why I include these articles. If you’re not curious and don’t give a fig, then don’t read them.>

New mercado – The community of Andacocha in the Guachapala canton will be getting a new patio de comidas with 16 spaces to replace an existing food court. <Fotos show the old food court which does have a roof – at least until the next time it gets real windy. It’s exceedingly rustic.>

Business page – The “Four Points” Hotel by Sheraton is ready. The hotel is off the Circunvalación Sur behind the Mall del Río and will be inaugurated on 3/11. The hotel was developed by the Grupo Ortiz which put up the land for 10% of the project, and the Grupo Eljuri which has 90%. It is being opened late because Sheraton was bought by Marriott Internacional which has different standards in terms of energy and water consumption that had to be met. The hotel has 120 rooms, and is aimed at a business clientele on weekdays and corporate and family events on weekends. There is a pool on the top floor <it looks like it has a panoramic view of Cuenca>, the internet has 50 megs, and there is parking for 100 cars. Room rates will be within the high range for Cuenca.

Pagina de Salud (Health page) – More than “cien millones” (100 million) adults in the US are diabetic (30 percent), or prediabetic (84.1 million, most of whom do not know they are prediabetic). <That’s like half of all the adults in the US. My last visit, I ate at some buffets and so I’m not surprised – there were so many fat people!>

Internacional –

Venezuela – Pres. Maduro responded to Pres. Trump’s threat of economic sanctions by installing the Consejo de Defensa de la Nación (Defense Council of the Nation). <It’s a toss up as to which is the bigger buffoon, although it’s clear which is the more dangerous.> Streets were blockaded in Caracas with spontaneous protests occurring. The National Assembly asked the the Armed Forces to not collaborate with the elections on 30/7 for an Asamblea Nacional Constituyente <Maduro’s attempt at an end run around the Nat’l Assembly, which turned majority opposition in the last election, is to call for electing a new assembly made up of his constituency.>.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne