Plans launched to dump Noboa’s VP; Another big coastal drug bust; Celebrate museums, potatoes, farm life and cantonization this weekend

Viernes, 17/5/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Exposición ‘Madre Tierra’ del artista Diego Buitrón (‘Mother Earth’ exhibition by the artist Diego Buitrón) – The ´Madre Tierra’ exhibit by Diego Buitrón opened el miércoles in IdiomArt (Mariscal La Mar y Estévez Toral). The show is composed of a series of 3 harmoniously correlated works: ‘Mensajes ancestrales’; ‘Madre Tierra’, and ‘Vida colorida’, (‘Ancestral messages’; ‘Mother Earth’, and ‘Colorful life’,)

International Museum Day is celebrated in Cuenca with an agenda of free activities and extended hours. (El Mercurio)

Lista programmación por el Día de Museos (Museum Day Program Schedule ready) – The International Day of Museums will be observed el 18/5 with theatricalized tours, guided visits, art showings and more. The Dirección Municipal de Cultura and its Sistema de Museos include the Museo de Arte Moderno (MMAM), Museo Remigio Crespo Toral, Museo de la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero, and the Planetario Municipal. There is an agenda of free activities with extended hours until 19:00. MMAM has a show, ‘Conoce la historia del Museo en imágenes’ (Get to know the history of the Museum in images’.) from 9-9:30 and from 15:00-15:30 with theatricalized tours at 11:00, 17:00 and 18:00.

De El Mercurio del jueves, 16/5 (1 article):
Molleturo: recorrido turístico a caserío (Molleturo: touristic tour to farmstead) – On el domingo, 19/5 from 7 am to 7 pm, There will be a tour to a farm in Cochapamba in the Molleturo parish which produces cuyes for a well-known restaurant in Cuenca <El Escondite? Well known to Cuencanos if not to gringos.>. The tour starts in San Pedro de Yumate where there will be a breakfast followed by a visit to the vía Yumate-Cochapamba, Llapin y Huahua Llapin to see parts of the Qhapag Ñan which connect to the Paredones archeological site. The guided tour will also include ecological trails, landscapes, medicinal plants, birds, and guinea pig breeding farms.

Make reservations in the office of iTur in Cuenca next to the Salón de la Ciudad on Sucre y Benigno Malo or by calling 098 787 1176 or 099 523 3854 <Or have your facilitator call. You might also need to bring your facilitator since there’s no mention of English and this article is in the local Spanish language paper which leads me to think it’s geared to Spanish speakers.>. The meeting place will be in the parque San Sebastián across the street from the Museo de Arte Moderno. Cost: $20 for adults, $10 for children which includes transport, guides, snacks, and a cuy with papas lunch. <You have been warned. Bring your own wetwipes – eating cuy is messy and greasy.> Recommended clothing is light sportswear with a jacket for the cold since the altitude is at 3,380 meters.

Titular –

Demanda electoral y retiro de visa: Abad (Electoral lawsuit and visa withdrawal: Abad) – Shortly after Pres. Noboa and VP Abad declared their candidacies, ruptures started showing. Since Noboa had never expected to win, he selected his running mate almost randomly. The ruptures started after the publication of videos showing Abad talking about privatization of public services. Since then, Noboa has kept Abad at a distance and not in the role of the economy and enterprise that was originally planned. Instead, she was assigned to work for migrants and to improve relations with Central America. Later she was assigned as ambassador of peace in Israel. Currently, the US has revoked her visa to the US without explanation.

Early this week a complaint for an electoral infraction was filed with the Tribunal Contencioso Electoral (TCE) with the goal of removing her from office which effectively happened yesterday. Because elected officials cannot carry out the duties of their offices while they are campaigning, their duties are carried out by the next in line of succession. Removing Abad from office would keep her from assuming presidential duties while Noboa campaigns for reelection. <Looks like politics at its ugliest, although it’s hard to compete with the Cheeto to the north.>

Cuenca –

De El Mercurio del jueves, 16/5 (1 article):
Hasta USD 9,200 de multa por llamar fuera de horario laboral (Up to $9,200 fine for calling outside working hours) – As part of the reforms to the Labor Code, the Ministerio de Trabajo considers contacting employees outside of their working hours as workplace harrassment. This can carry a fine of 20 times the salario básico, or $9,200. <How many of you have had bosses who called you at nights, early mornings, weekends and on vacations? And did you wish there was a law against that?> The law characterizes labor violence and harrassment as all types of inacceptable behaviors and practices which include threats that can cause physical, psychological, sexual, economic, political, symbolic or digital damage to an employee.

Sucesos –

De El Mercurio del jueves, 16/5 (1 article):
Operativo contra tráfico de droga (Operation against drug trafficking) – <This is your de vez en cuando (once in a while, from time to time – your phrase for the day) drug bust article.> The Policía Nacional conducted the “Clandestino” anti-drug operation and broke up a network operating in Esmeraldas, Pichincha, Santo Domingo y El Oro Provinces which moved drugs to the international markets. <I’m dreading the day when this type of article includes Azuay, Cañar or Loja Provinces.> The investigation lasted 9 months with coordination from the A.G.’s office. The operation netted 8 people, identified the leader of the gang who is considered an objective of medium value, and confiscated 3.54 tones of cocaine. The gang used what is called the “Ruta del Pacífico en Ecuador.”

Region –

‘Festival de la papa’ (Potato festival) – The first ‘Festival de la papa’ <Nothing to do with either Dads or Popes. So if you ask someone “Como está tu papa,” you’re not asking how their Dad is. You are asking “How is your potato?”> will be in the Dug Dug Parish of Paute Canton el 19/5 in the plaza de toros of the parish. The event has the support of the Municipality <the canton of Paute>, the Prefectura of Azuay, the Corvel Restaurant, Callimanta, Jardín Azuay, and the Heladería Central. You will be able to taste a variety of delicacies based on potato (fried, boiled, baked, steamed, grilled, roasted, au gratin, soup, locro, llapingachos, hasselback, hash browned, llatkes, O’Brien, home fries, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. <I wonder if the King of Siam ate potatoes?> You can even taste potato ice cream <with enough heavy cream, sugar and spices – why not?>

San Fernando vive fiestas con actividades culturales (San Fernando celebrates its festivities with cultural activities) – The 38th anniversary of the cantonization of San Fernando festivities starts tomorrow (sábado) a las 8:00 with with a horseback ride organized by the ‘Club Galoperos de San Fernando,’ and continues a las 10:00 with the ‘Copa Factory Bike’ on the track of the ‘Hermanos Quiridumbay’ track in the Perpetuo Socorro sector. The day ends with the election of the Queen of the Canton a las 20:00 in the Coliseo de Deportes. El domingo a las 10:00 there will be the ‘4×4 San Fernando Fest’ also on the ‘Hermanos Quiridumbay’ track.

El sábado, 25/5 there will be the ‘Día Cultural’ a las 10:00 with an interprovincial dance contest. At 20:00 that night, there will be the election of the Cholita Fernandense. A las 21:00, the Grupo Taky Kawsay, Danza Saray, nad the Trio Los Garles will perform. The festivities will continue into the first days of junio. El 2/6, there will be a civic and military parade starting at 10:00 with a solemn session a las 12:00. A las 19:00 there will be the Festival de canción (song), a las 20:00 the Festival del Mote Pillo <Mote sucio is better>, and a las 21:00 la ‘Reina de la Rockola’, Jenny Rosero will perform.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne