Report warns of local mining project; Quito GM plant closes; Int’l extraterrestrial congress opens; Amazon film screens; City looks at water solutions

Miércoles, 4/9/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Muestra pictória – The exhibition “Paisajes del verde al metal” (Landscapes from green to metal) by artist Diana Márquez is showing until el 7/9 in the Salón del Pueblo “Efraín Jara Idrovo” (Sucre y Benigno Malo). Free.

El cuerpo, mente y espíritu sanan con la musicoterapia (Body, mind and spirit heal with music therapy) – <And especially if you’re dancing to music by Astor Piazzolla.> The institution “Notas de Bienestar” will hold a music therapy workshop el 6/9 from 17:30 to 20:30, el 7/9 from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 16:30 in the Sala “Catalina Sojos” in the Casa de la Cultura. It will be directed by Geovanny Pinos, a clinical psychologist, and Jessica Zhunio, a music therapist.

Cuenca utility company ETAPA warns that the proposed Loma Larga mine in the Kimsacocha páramo presents an elevated risk of water contamination from acids and heavy metals. The Mining Ministry says it, not the city, has jurisdiction over mining decisions.

Music therapy is a treatment where sound and music are the key healing tools which can improve emotional, mental and physical bienestar (wellbeing – your word for the day). Benefits include stress and anxiety reduction, improving your mood, and increasing concentration and memory. <Now for someone my age, just memory improvement would be worth the cost.> In the physical rehabilitation, music therapy facilitates mobility and coordination. For more information call WhatsApp 098 346 2392. Cost: $10, prepaid.

De El Mercurio del martes, 3/9 (2 articles):
Se proyecta documental de pueblos amazónicos (Documentary on Amazonian peoples to be screened) – The documentary, “Wituk & Achiote, los Colores de la Amazonía” (Wituk & Achiote, Colors of the Amazon) will be shown on the 3, 4, 5, & 6 de septiembre a las 18:30 lin the Sala “Alfonso Carrasco” (Luis Cordero 7-22, 2nd floor). The film explores the natural dyes used by indigenous peoples in the Amazon from the legends associated with their cosmovision to their current applications. The film focuses on the creation of 2 emblematic colors: the red of achiote (annatto) seeds and the blue of the wituk.

“Herencias vivas”, una muestra sobre makanas (“Living Inheritances”, an exhibition on makanas) – The Galería Virina de la Casa de la Cultura will open the exhibit “Herencias Vivas” el miércoles a las 18:00 in collaboration with the craftspeople of the “La Casa Museo de la Makana.” José Jiménez <Not the “My name – José Jiménez” guy.> is a 5th generation craftsman working in making these clothes. Along with Ana María Ulloa, they founded the Casa Museo in Gualaceo in 2000 to revalue the identity of this heritage.

Titular –

460 incendios en 19 provincias (460 fires in 19 provinces) – See today’s (miércoles) article in CHL for story.

De El Mercurio del martes, 3/9 (1 article):
Hay que ahorrar el agua o habrá racionamientos (Save water or there will be rationing) – Mayor Cristian Zamora announced that there won’t be water outages in the next 6 days. The 3 mm. of rain that fell early lunes was enough to provide a few days of reserves. He issued an urgent call for citizens <which includes foreigners> to reduce water usage in their homes by at least 20%. If this isn’t done, it will be necessary to cut water service for 6 to 8 hours a day. The mayor’s office issued an updated statement Wednesday, saying that without more rain, outages would begin this weekend.  <If you’re lucky enough to have a cistern on top of or under your house or building, this doesn’t excuse you from saving water even though you have it 24/7. Just because you have it is no reason not to pitch in and conserve for the common good.>

The Mayor explained that there are 3 specific actions to deal with the problem in the next few years. The first is to interconnect the Tixán potable water treatment plant with the one in El Cebollar so that if the Tomebamba, which feeds El Cebollar doesn’t have enough water, it can be fed from the Tixán plant. Tixán gets its water from the Machangara which always has water since its flow is controlled. The 2nd action is to start updating the studies for a dam to store the water from the Dos Chorreras lake in an area adjacent to the Parque Nacional Cajas. A 3d action is planning the implementation of reservoirs in the Yanuncay watershed. That was the goal for the Soldados Yanuncay Hydroelectric Project which has been on hold since 2022. This proposal would regulate the flow of the Yanuncay and provide a reserve of water for the Sustag treatment plant.

Currently flows in the river are way below normal although the Tomebamba recovered a little from the rain el lunes. The Instituto Nacional de Meteorología y Hidrología (Inamhi) forecast temperatures that could exceed 26 C until el 5/9 in Cuenca, Girón, San Fernando, Nabón and Oña. It also warned about the possibility of forest fires in Cuenca, Paute, Gualaceo, Girón, San Fernando, Nabón, Oña, Santa Isabel, and Pucará. There will be a low probability of rain, very high solar radiation, and high temperatures at least until the weekend. It recommended that people limit intense outdoor activity, avoid direct sun exposure, stay hydrated, and use sunscreen since Cuenca will have UV levels from 13-16 which are considered extremely high..

Actualidad –

La vida extraterrestre, eje de congreso (Extraterrestrial life, focus of the congress) – An international congress started today and will end el viernes, 6/9. It will deal with solar science, ovnis (UFOs – another word for the day), and extraterrestrial life. Ufologists from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Perú will talk about different subjects. Juvenal Sánchez, president of the Comunidad Ufógica Cuenca said more information is needed . Cost: $5, including a book highlighting various research. <And no, there was nothing in the article about the congress’ location or how to contact the organizers.>

De El Mercurio del martes, 3/9 (1 article):
Informe de ETAPA abre controversia por minería (ETAPA report opens controversy over mining) – The main conclusion of a technical report by ETAPA regarding the exploitation phase of the Loma Larga mine said that the water sources originating in the Kimsacocha páramo are threatened by an elevated risk of contamination from the drainage of acids and heavy metals. <Just the materials you want in your drinking water – but don’t worry, it just makes the water tastier. Actually, enough acid will cook your food without heat.> For Verónica Polo, manager of ETAPA EP, the conclusions showed the incompatibility of mining with the soil of the páramo which is very fragile and that any intervention will cause considerable damage. She was also critical of the mining company’s environmental impact study which didn’t show that the planned mitigation was valid or would serve to guarantee the soils.

Mayor Zamora noted that his administration is against mining in Kimsacocha although the Government’s position is different. The information from ETAPA has gone to the courts where Dundee Precious Metals, which has the Loma Larga mining concession, has filed an action of protection. The Attorney General’s Office wrote to the court saying that ETAPA had assumed functions belonging to the Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica (MAATE – Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition) by writing its report. The mining company is currently conducting activities to support the affected communities in Cuenca, Girón, and San Fernando with educational and productive projects. <And lots and lots of bottled water?>

Nacional –

Tras 48 años, planta de GM cerrará en Ecuador (After 48 years, GM plant in Ecuador will close) – El viernes, 6/9 will be the last day of production for the GM assembly plant which started operations in octubre, 1975. Its best year was in 2012 when it produced 220 vehicles a day compared with the current production of 1000 per month. Running at only 13% of capacity, trade agreements Ecuador signed opening the auto market to other makes without tariffs, and using the dollar as currency all contribute to the closure. 51% of all vehicles produced in Ecuador were built by GM. 320 direct jobs and more than 5,000 indirect jobs will be lost.

The brand will stay in the country since service centers will be maintained and the stock of parts will be guaranteed.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne