Pase del Niño parade resumes; Ex-inmate says prisons are run by gangs and corruption is ramptant; Informal vendors overwhelm sidewalks, streets

Lunes, 4/10/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

El payaso Pirulín celebra su aniversario con show gratuito (Pirulín the clown celebrates his anniversary with a free show) – Luis Alberto Ávila, better known as Pirulín the clown, is celebrating 10 years in the business with a free show el domingo, 17/10, a las 10:00 in the Teatro Sucre. Attendance is limited to 300, and you can get tickets by calling 0998921436. The show is geared for families and kids with clowns, magicians, and jugglers and with the support of the Circo Social.

Acceso a Chobshi (Access to Chobshi) – The new paved access to the community of Chobshi in Sígsig will be inaugurated este viernes a las 10:00 with an intercultural and gastronomic festival. The road gives better access to one of the most important archeological ruins in the province.

Titular –

Varios líderes habrían escondido fortunas (Several leaders could have hidden fortunes) – See the article in CHL for the story.

Cuenca –

Street vendors take over the sidewalk on Mariano Cueva.

Ventas en las calles son cada día más (Sales in the streets increase every day) – Because of the pandemic this social problem of informal sales has increased in spite of municipal efforts to control it. Mayor Palacios called it a game of “cat and mouse,” saying that the Guardia Ciudadana, which is in charge of public order, asks vendors to move. But they might move temporarily or relocate to a different spot on another street or sidewalk. The mayor asks that citizens collaborate in the efforts, and do their shopping at mercados. He said that there are 200-300 open spaces in the markets, which have been offered to informal vendors who, for the most part, have not accepted them. He spoke of plans to award a contract to build the mercado del Cebollar, and start contruction next year on two more mercados in Ricaurte and El Valle. The hope is that when these spaces open, agricultural producers will not have to come into the urban center to sell their products.

En la Mariano Cueva (On Mariano Cueva) – Most of the vendors on Mariano Cueva between Sangurima and Vega Muñoz are part of the Asociación el Aventurero, and have business licenses granted by the administration of Fernando Cordero. The Guardia Ciudadana cannot remove these vendors, and as long as there are no spaces to which they can be relocated, they can stay on the street. The Guardia Ciudadana said that they can seize products when the vendor does not have a permit, but they only do so after warnings, both verbal and written.

Abierta la lotería de visas (Visa lottery opens) – The US State Department has opened the lottery for a visa to live and work in the US. The 2023 Diversity Visa Program will give out 55,000 permanent visas. <But if you’re reading this, you probably don’t need the details of how to get one since you are likely already are a US citizen.>

Arquidiócesis de Cuenca planifica el Pase del Niño Viajero (Archdiocese of Cuenca plans the Pase del Niño Viajero parade) – Since the intensity of the pandemic has decreased, the Archdiocese of Cuenca is working on returning the Pase del Niño Viajero parade. Taking into account current restrictions, it is talking about a parade with 100 floats, but no comparsas (dance or performing groups), dancers,or people on foot. Contingency and biosecurity plans are already done and waiting for approval. After a mass, a caravan headed by a National Police vehicle will transport the Niño Viajero from the Monasterio del Carmen de la Asunción to the Catedral, taking a route along a stretch of Bolívar and then to the site where the parade will start. <So no helicopter ride for the Niño this year? I wonder what he’s going to wear this year?>

Sucesos –

Requisas en las cárceles no hay (There are no searches in prisons) – An ex-prisoner was recently released from the CPL in Turi was interviewed as to his experiences while he was encarcerated in prisons in Machala, Guayaquil, Santo Domingo and Cuenca. He spoke about the non-existent separation of prisoners in minimum, medium, and maximum security pavilions with gang leaders moving prisoners around at will. He told the interviewer that arms and drugs come in different ways, some through corrupt guards and police. He also said that prison employees often do not receive their paychecks promptly with some waiting 3 months for their paychecks. Paying employees on time could stop some of the corruption.

He talked about extorsion which was a daily occurence in Guayaquil, but with few cases in Cuenca. Prisons are run by cabecillos (ringleaders) in each pavilion or section who rely on their cellphones. Internet service comes through cell phones jerry-rigged to act as a routers with unlimited plans (hotspot apps). <You’d think that someone who could do that could find legitimate work in electronics.> Searches are unsuccessful since prisoners only turn over arms and phones that are no longer working. The useful contraband is well hidden.

Region –

Una solución para el kilómetro 49 (A solution for kilometer 49) – The Ministro de Transporte y Obras Públicas has a solution for the macro-landslides at km. 49 on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme. There would be 2 berms or terraces built on the top part of the slope along with a gutter to collect water and take it to sources of streams to keep the area dry. A dynamic mesh would also be installed similar to then one placed in the Tahual zone. The roadway would be rerouted for 300 meters, and the current lane next to the slope would be converted into a large gutter as well as an area to retain fallen material. <We’ll have to wait and see how Mother Nature is going to circumvent all of these measures.>

Mundo –

Nube de polvo llega a P. Rico (Dust cloud reaches Puerto Rico) – A cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert along with sulfur dioxide from the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma reached Puerto Rico este domingo. It has caused a deterioration in air quality on the island.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne