Peru has world’s highest Covid mortality rate; Local presidential ticket ruled ineligible; Cuenca mining vote set for Dec. 13; Milk consumption drops 50%

Lunes, 5/10/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Del cuerpo del periodico –

Horarios misas en la catedral (Times for mass in the cathedral) – Starting from 4/10, there will be new hours for mass in the New Cathedral. From lunes a jueves they will be at 7:00, 9:00, 12:00 and 15:00. On viernes y sábados they will be at 7:00, 9:00, and 12:00. On domingos they will be at 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 12:30, 18:30 y 20:00.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Armar a la TRI, reto de Alfaro (Putting together the TRI, Alfaro’s challenge) – Fútbol – you’re on your own.

La libertad de mercado no lo resuelve todo, dice Francisco (Market freedom does not solve everything, says Francisco) – Pope Francis issued a new encyclical titled “Fratelli Tutti” (Hermanos Todos/ Brothers All). You can Google it and get more and better information from English language sources.

Single tranvia tickets will cost 30 cents until December 31. (El Mercurio)

Baja el consume de leche (Milk consumption down) – Milk consumption has gone down almost 50% due to the economic situation. The tourism sector was a major client of the ranchers and is now operating at 10% with zero sales to the government which bought milk for the school breakfast programs. Ranchers, especially small and medium sized, are suffering because they are not receiving the official price of $.42/liter of milk from the middlemen and transporters. One owner of 15 cows said he is forced to sell his milk for $.32/liter. There is also a problem with unfair competition with venders in Guayaquil selling “milk” which is whey, for $.50 and others who adulterate milk for sale to different markets. Fred Heimback Guerrero, president of the Cámara de Agricultura of III Zona said the solution is for Arcsa and Agrocalidad to put a collection center in the largest milk producing areas, qualify the transporters, and respect the official price. He said the main problems are the middlemen/transporters since the industry does not have its own transport. <So is there a business opportunity for someone to buy milk at the official price and sell it to gringos who want raw milk fresh from the cow?>

Cajera frustra asalto (Cashier thwarts assault) – 3 antisociales (antisocials) entered a restaurant on Don Bosco near the Cruz Verde sector el noche de viernes to steal the cashbox. The young woman who was working as the cashier was able to activate the alarm and the robbers fled in a Vitara SZ. A neighbor who noticed, chased them on a motorcycle up av. 12 de Octubre and was fired at a la altura (at) the U. of Cuenca Ag. School. The motorcycle continued chasing the malandros (thugs – your word for the day to go along with antisociales, delinquentes y ladrones) and was shot at again at the Circunvalación Sur y Doce de Octubre. The motorcyclist’s wife called 911, but the reponse was too late.

4 grupos políticos inscritos en Azuay (4 political groups registered in Azuay) – The period for candidates to register with the CNE for the 2021 general elections ends este miércoles, 7/10 a las 18:00 at which time the system shuts down and will not accept any more candidates. So far there are 180 pre-candidates including principals and alternates for provincial assemblies, but as of ayer, only 4 groups have registered – Libertad es Pueblo (Lista 9), the alliance Unión por la Esperanza (UNES) (Lista 1), CREO (Lista 21), y Democracia Sí (Lista 20). The electoral schedule calls for campaigns to start 31/12/2020 and end on 4/2/2021. <Then why have I already seen an ad for Lasso on-line or is internet campaigning exempt?> The public drawing for members of the Juntas Receptoras del Voto (JRV) will be el 9/11 with notification to the members starting immediately. The presidential debate will be el 17/1. If a second round of voting is needed, that campaign will be from 16/3 to 8/4 with voting day on 11/4 and a second presidential debate planned for 21/3.

Paúl Carrasco y Frank Vargas qauedan fuera de contienda (Paúl Carrasco and Frank Vargas are out of contention) – The full Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE) resolved to not admit the paperwork to register the canditates for the Podemos movement. On 16/9/2020, the CNE annulled the registration and legal status of this organization so it cannot accept its candidates. In the same session, the CNE accepted the objection from the Centro Democrático-Fuerza Compromiso Social (UNES) to Libertad es Pueblo, headed by Juan Carlos Machuca y Cristóbal Luna who have 48 hours to correct and present their defense.

Lugar de votación (Polling place) – The CNE has activated their web page, www.cne.gob.ec where you can find out your polling place. You need to enter your cédula number and complete last and first names.

2 águilas ya vuelan libres en bosque de El Labrado (2 eagles now fly free in El Labrado forest) – A pair of black-breasted eagles were released el sábado at Elecaustro’s El Labrado dam. The area is in the Machángara-Tomebamba protected forest where other animal species are conserved. They were rehabilitated over a 3 month period at the Yurak Allpa zoo in Tarqui. The birds were banded – YA004 for the female and YA005 for the male so that park rangers can identify and moniter them.

Internacional –

Perú con la tasa de mortalidad más alta por Covid-19 (Peru with the highest mortality rate from Covid-19) – As of yesterday, Perú had 32,665 confirmed deaths from Covid, one per 1,000 people, the highest mortality rate in the world. <What a horrible thing to be No. 1 in.> The mortality rate is 8 times higher in seniors than in people between 30 and 59 years old.

Old news from sábado, 3/10/2020 –

Consulta será el 13 de diciembre (Referendum will be on December 13) – The CNE has set the referendum on mining in Cuenca for 13/12. Because of fixed time frames set by the Corte Constitucional the referendum cannot be held at the same time as the general elections on 7/2/2021.

Tranvía intenta mantenerse (Tram tries to stay) – After 4 hours of debate, the Concejo Cantonal de Cuenca decided to set the Tranvía fare at $.30 until 31/12/2020, and provisionally suspended the $.35 and $1.00 fares. In the first 9 days of commercial operation, the daily riderships were at 6415, 6987, 6552, 7511, 4067, 8057, 7873, and 8951. 8% of users paid with a $1.00 ticket, 67% used the Movilízate cards, and 25% were transfers from buses.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne