Rioters cause Wednesday damage, Red Cross maintains service, Cuencanos assist each other, Museums close, Vivaldi festival cancelled

Oct 10, 2019 | 2 comments

Jueves, 10/10/2019

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

Effects on museums and cultural venues – Museums are closed with employees working behind closed doors and via the internet. The OSC has suspended the Festival Viva Viladi (sic). It is rehearsing Beethovan’s 9th Symphony for la próxima semana. <And I sure do hope that they will be able to perform it.> If they can’t due to continuing protests, they will start rehearsing the next concert on their schedule. The Museo de las Conceptas plans to stay open until 15:00 unless protests get too close and they need to shut the doors to protect their employees and collections. The Casa Museo Remigio Crespo has postponed the opening of an exhibit by Gustavo López planned for today.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Cuenca, destrozada (Basin, shattered – and this is why you shouldn’t rely too heavily on translation programs) (Cuenca trashed) – See today’s article in CHL for details. <Seems like the people doing all this trashing were also those who suffer from uncontrolled testosterone poisoning.> There really isn’t any other news other than strike news so I’ll nibble around the edges of the CHL article.

Trash and debris collected after Wednesday protests in El Centro. (El Mercurio)

Expresiones de solidaridad – Within the marchers were groups expressing their solidarity. These included young people in their paramedic uniforms with their implements. They offered assistance to marchers who were affected, primarily by tear gas <I haven’t smelled that in at least 50 years, but I don’t live in the Centro Histórico.>, and also to people who were hit by rocks. Young lawyers were also in the crowd to video-document the actions of the police to avoid police excesses. There were women circulating with baking soda, water, salt and milk to reduce to the effects of tear gas and hydrate marchers.

Cruz Roja – The Red Cross reported it has responded to 32 incidents in the last 7 days as well as 36 medical emergencies. The organization has asked protesters to permit the free circulation of ambulances and emergency vehicles and denounced attacks on ambulances as was seen on ECU911 tapes in Quito.

“Por la paz” – A group of various citizens gathered in the parque De La Madre yesterday “For peace.” They reconvened at 15:00 today. Within that group were students concerned with the amount of class time they have lost.

Cuenca se mostró desolada (Cuenca was desolate) – Yesterday, was empty yesterday. The Feria Libre and Mercado El Arenal were vacant and stores were closed. In the morning hours, there were people walking to work since roads were blocked to vehicles. <One friend walked almost 10 km from Racar to her job at the parque Inclusivo, and another about 5 km. from near the airport to near the Clinica Santa Ines. I would have skipped work, but I’m not so responsible.> One couple brought what was left of a tank of gas from her work in Feria Libre to their house in Control Sur on top of a bike.> She asked that protesters have a little conscience and let people live and work so they can eat. Garbage is also piling up and EMAC is asking people to keep it in their houses and not put it out on the streets. All the garbage trucks are full with no way to get to Pichacay to empty them.

Warning – Burning tires is unhealthy both for people breathing the fumes and for the environment. Cancer causing agents are released including lead, steel and cadmium which accumulate in body fats. <Although I doubt any of you readers is out there burning tires.>

Operations of SOTE shut down – Petroecuador announced that the Sistema de Oleoducto Transcuatoriano (Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System) has been shut down due to the drop in the stock of crude oil. The drop is due to suspension of activities in various oil camps operated by Petroamazonas EP. So far, $12.8 million has been lost since 231,800 barrels of crude have not been produced.

Arrests – About 800 protesters have been arrested. Most of them were in Guayaquil (177) for vandalism and 163 in Quito. The article didn’t mention any arrests in Azuay.

Dialogue – The government has offered some proposals to the indigenous leaders to compensate communities for the effects of ending gas subsidies and to generate opportunities. These include implementing irrigations systems, debt restructuring for land payments, agricultural financing and insurance, cancelling (?) fines on debts to Senagua. Proposals in the area of agriculture include technical kits, machinery and distribution centers for potato, quinoa, chocho, peas, barley and broccoli in Carchi, Cotopaxi, Imbabura, y Azuay provinces. In education, multigrade schools would be reopened and the number of teachers specializing in intercultural bilingual education would be increased. However, the derogatoria (repeal – your word for the day) <One of those words where you get hung up about at the 3d syllable and can’t continue or even remember the rest.> of the decree that allowed the increase in gas and diesel prices is not on the table.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne

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