Police want two-rider ban on motorcycles; Lasso reduces money exit tax; Three Cuenca-Guayaquil flights added; Pre-trial detention restricted

Miércoles, 22/12/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Nuevo concierto en la “Sala Digital” (New concert in the “Sala Digital”) – The Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca premiered a concert by Luis Chiriboga last 5/11 in the Teatro de la CCE. This performance is now on YouTube and Facebook along with more than 20 other performances recorded by the OSC.

Abren convocatoria para participar en la Fiesta de Música (Call for entries to participate in the Music Festival is open) – The Alianza Francesa de Cuenca has opened the call for designers, musicians, and private spaces to be part of the Fiesta de la Música 2022. If you are interested, go to https://afcuenca.org.ec/…/fiesta-de-la-musica-2022…/ . Designers have until 28/1/2022 to submit proposals, musicians until 22/2, and private spaces interested in hosting concerts have until 28/3. There are also calls for photographers who need to submit proposals by 31/12, and for organizational partners who need to submit by 28/3/2022. The event is non-profit so participation is voluntary. The event itself will be held on 17 & 18/6. On the 17th, performances will be in private spaces, and on the 18, in public spaces

Titular –

Aeroregional Airlines is flying 3 Christmas and New Year’s flights between Cuenca and Guayquil.

En guardia contra el ómicron (On guard against omicron) – See today’s article in CHL for more details. Today the Health Ministry (MSP) announced that people over 60 can get their boosters 5 months after their 2nd dose. Other age groups still have to wait 6 months. <If markets and supermarkets truly enforce the no vaccine-no entry rule, Tipti is in for another boom in business.>

Cuenca –

Tres vuelos entre Cuenca y Guayaquil (Three flights between Cuenca and Guayaquil) – Aeroregional Airlines is flying 3 Christmas and New Year’s flights between Cuenca and Guayquil 22/12, el 28/12, and el 4/1/2022. You can get tickets through the Maxiticket travel agency. The flight el 4/1 lwill leave Guayaquil a las 15:00 and land in Cuenca a las 15:30. It leaves Cuenca a las 16:00 and arrivse in Guayaquil a las 16:30. The flight on el 28/12 despegará (will take off – your word for the day) from Guayaquil a las 18:30 and arrive in Cuenca a las 19:00. The return will leave Cuenca a las 19:30 and land in Guayaquil a las 20:00. <So you can have your vacation at the beach without driving through the Cajas.> The $160 round trip tickets includes taxes, and the possibility of taking a carry-on bag and a checked bag of 23 k. Marcello Carvello, director of CORPAC said that from 26/12 to 2/1/2022, there will be from 3 to 5 daily flights between Cuenca and Quito on LATAM Airlines Ecuador and Avianca.

Sucesos –

Plantean prohibir circulación de dos personas en una motocicleta (Proposed ban on the circulation of two people on one motorcycle) – The Policía Nacional is pointing out the need for a law prohibiting 2 people on a motorcycle, especially at night. This is to prevent assaults perpetrated by 2 riders on a moto. In Cuenca, there have been reports of robberies of pedestrians where the rider on the moto grabs a purse or phone, and the robbers take off. People who are depositing or withdrawing money from a financial institution have been victims of the sacapintas method of robbery which is done by a group of at least 3 people. One goes into the institution and identifies a victim and notifies the actual robber who is outside the bank and who takes the money. The 3d robber generally provides a moto as a getaway vehicle since it is more maneuverable. Police recommend that people who need to carry a lot of money use the “Traslado de Valores” service the police provide. It’s free and available to anyone by calling 911. <Of course you need to be able to explain what you want in Spanish.> <I wonder if more than 2 on a moto would fall under this proposed law. A family of 1 or 2 parents and 1 or 2 kids is just not the profile of a gang of thieves unless their apellido is Fagin.>

Region –

En 3 cantones aprueban Pases (Parades approved in 3 cantons) – Each Azuayan canton has its own way to celebrate Navidad and the Fin de Año. This year, some are allowing traditional activities, and others are not. Paute will have a Pase del Niño tomorrow with different social organizations. The program starts at 16:00 in the main church with a mass, followed by a walk through the streets in the center. Gualaceo will have a Pase del Niño el viernes, 24/12 starting a las 14:30 in the Parque del Niño, proceeding along calle Gran Colombia to the main church. Girón has also authorized Pases del Niño with biosecurity measures. None of the cities are allowing other types of large events, especially for New Year.

Nacional –

Lasso arranca con reducción paulatina del ISD (Lasso starts with a gradual reduction of ISD) – Pres. Lasso confirmed another of his campaign promises ayer with the reduction of the Impuesto a la Salida de Divisas (ISD – Tax on Foreign Exchange Outflows). The tax is currently 5% and applies to natural persons and businesses that tranfer or send money out of the country. In 2022, this tax will be reduced by .25% each quarter starting el 1/1/2022 until it reaches 4% at the end of the year. The president said that a total reduction is not possible at the moment because of its significant effect on public finances. This tax is the 3d in the amount of taxes collected following the IVA and income tax. In the 14 years that it has been applied, over $12 billion as been collected. The SRI reported that from enero to noviembre, the ISD collected $1.095 billion; in 2020 it only collected $964 million due to the pandemic; and in 2019, $1.270 billion was collected. It is also the tax that is hardest to evade, a difference from the IVA and income taxes.

Corte Nacional restringe el uso de la prisión preventiva (National Court restricts the use of pretrial detention) – The Corte Nacional de Justicia (CNJ) issued a resolution restricting the use of pretrial detention to cases where it is absolutely necessary and a last resort. This detention should only be requested for those accused of crimes where the penalty is more than 1 year; those accused are the direct authors or accomplices; and people for whom other methods such as ankle bracelets or prohibition on leaving the country will not be enough to guarantee their presence through the judicial process. <Such as the high muckety mucks accused of corruption who want to enjoy their embezzled funds on a beach in Miami.> The judges said that prisión preventiva should be issued in compliance with the principles of appropriateness, necessity and proportionality. They are hoping to avoid the abuse of this measure which has contributed to prison overcrowding and violence.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne