Study begins for 6-lane highway to Guayaquil; New city budget includes major projects; Christmas lights will be solar; Second Cuenca chef gets Michelin star
Jueves, 28/11/2024
Hola, Todos –
Actividades –
De El Mercurio del jueves, 27/11 (3 articles):
Exposición patrimonial (Historical exhibit) – There is an exhibit, “Transformación y modernidad,” by Gilberto Gatto Sobral at the Casa Patrimonial Municipal Quinta Bolívar (Av. 24 de mayo next to the Gapal Redondel). Gatto is an Uruguayan architect who was key in introducing and spreading modern architecture in Ecuador in the mid 20th Century. He prepared the 1st regulatory plan for Cuenca in 1949 with proposals applicable 50 years into the future and formed what is now urban Cuenca.
Among the projects included in Cuenca’s 2025 municipal budget is construction of a new hospital in Baños. (El Mercurio)
Titular –
Primer hito para vía a Guayaquil (First milestone for road to Guayaquil) – The Government signed a $1.8 million contract yesterday with Korea Expressway Corporation for a pre-feasibility study for the route and cost of a new road to Guayaquil. The preliminary work for the contract was done during Pres. Guillermo Lasso’s term. The studies will include engineering, financing, social-environmental and legal issues. Work on the study will begin immediately. <Is that an immediately that is sort of like mañana is tomorrow or a more US immediately?> Juan Carlos Vega, Minister of Economía y Finanzas, said the road will be 6 lanes with bridges and tunnels to connect Cuenca to Guayaquil in less than an hour and half. The Government hopes the same company that does the studies will be in charge of the construction since its experience includes major projects in Korea and other parts of the world. <Ecuador is getting disenchanted with Chinese construction companies?
Roberto Luque, Minister of Transporte y Obras Públicas said that the project needs a company with a track record since joining the 2 cities involves a road that will cross the interandean zone with erratic topography and very complex geological conditions <As Yoda might say, “Master of the understatement, he is.”>. <Probably the only reason there haven’t been a lot of slides on the current route is because there hasn’t been a real rainy season. About when the reservoirs are getting filled is about when the mountain is going to fall on km 82 (?) of the vía Cuenca-Molleturo.>
Proyecto pensado a 10 años (Thinking of 10 years for project) – Juan Cristóbal Lloret, prefect of Azuay, referred to the Cuenca-Guayaquil highway project positively, but said it could take 10 years to build. He added that, while this is happening, there are other urgent needs such as having the resolution to change the reality of the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme, the vía Cuenca-Girón->Pasaje and the roads leading to the east.
Actualidad –
Habrá restricción vial en Gapal (There will be road restrictions in Gapal) – Due to work on the parque del Ferrocarril, traffic will be restricted from el próximo sábado until el 14/12 in 3 arterial streets: av. 24 de Mayo, av. Gapal, and calle Tumipamba. There will be excavation work in 2 phases to the middle of 24 de Mayo and calle Tumipamba near the redondel de Gapal. The work will leave one lane open. Av. Gapal which takes traffic to the Circunvalación Sur will be closed to traffic. EMOV agents will have controls, but are asking that drivers use alternate routes.
Una segunda chef cuencana consigue la estrella Michelin (A second chef from Cuenca gets Michelin star) – <This is your simple Spanish test for the day – is the chef a man or a woman?> Chef Claudia Merchán received a 2025 Michelin star for for restaurant ‘Simpar’ in Spain. She opened ‘Simpar’ in Santiago de Copostela with Spanish chef Áxel Smyth in 2023. The first Ecuadorian to receive a star was Carolina Sánchez with her restaurant ‘Ikaro.’
Cuenca –
Energía solar emplearán en decoración navideña (Solar energy to be used in Christmas decorations) – <This article is for those of you who think the city shouldn’t be lighting things up, but should decrease your blackout hours.> Mayor Cristian Zamora said that the 32-meter-high Christmas tree the City of Cuenca is installing in the San Francisco Plaza will be lit with solar energy. This measure responds to the need to save electricity. The giant nativity scene in the Plazoleta de El Otorongo will also be powered by solar panels as well as the decorations in the San Sebastián, San Blas, and Abdón Calderón parks, and Av. Solano.
The decorative lighting will be turned on el 7 & 8/12 with the tree lighting el 9/12. <I’m going to miss seeing the tree from my window since it was in my barrio last year.> In principle, the city had planned to use generators at a cost of $20,000. The Funcación Iluminar, in charge of Christmas decorations, plans to use only renewable energy in coming years.
Obras por cobrar y por ejecutar (Works receivable and to be performed) – The full Cantonal Council analyzed the $258,666,265.00 2025 draft budget for the city. This is an increase of $5,993,818. more than 2024. Payment was approved for 10 public works projects valued at $11,033,178.81 including the Río Tarqui Transfer Station, the Isauro Rodríguez bridge, the renewal of the Mirador de Turi and adjacent zones, the upgrading of the mercado in El Valle, construction of the mercado 4 de Noviembre in Ricaurte, the bridge to Ochoa Leon, the road to Patamarca, repaving urban roads, building the escalinata Francisco Sojos Jaramillo, and others. Payment for another 38 municipal projects totaling $1,318,393.17 was approved.
Projects for 2025 include the Municipal Hospital for El Valle ($7,765,207.64) and the restoration of the Complejo Deportivo y Cultural de Cazhapata in the Puertas del Sol sector (about $6 million). The 2025 projects were prioritized in the 11 parish assemblies held from the 8-30/7/2024 where 873 citizen petitions were received.
Elisa Maldonado, director of the Yanuncay Parish who participated in the assemblies, prioritized road projects and creating green spaces as well as projects to avoid flooding <I noticed she didn’t use “flood control” which implies a power over Mother Nature that we humans just don’t have.> She said citizens should be consulted since the projects will use our money paid through taxes so citizens need to be part of the decisions. Vinicio Andrade, president of El Cebollar, said a $415,000 platform for itinerant vendors will finally materialize after a 2-year fight. It will be built next to the casa comunal. Norma Ullaguari, director of the La Unión sector in Baños thought that the construction of the Hospital de la Mujer y Niño for Baños will reactivate the parish. The hospital will cost about $8 million and have 21 beds and about 3,500 sq. meters of space.
De El Mercurio del jueves, 27/11 (2 articles):
Lo que fue una isla de paz (What was once an island of peace) – <This is ironic – I’m translating an article in Spanish which itself is summary of an article originally written in English, quoting Ecuadorian interviewees .> A 32 page article in the British magazine The Economist covered how Ecuador stopped being an island of peace, between the two drug producing countries of Perú and Colombia, and became a “narco-state” and one of the most dangerous countries in the world. <Now if that doesn’t make some of you reconsider immigrating to Ecuador, I don’t know what will.> To reach that conclusion, journalist Alexander Clapp toured cities with high crime rates: Los Bajos in Manabí, Guayaquil and Duran in Guayas, Santa Rosa in El Oro, and the Juntas del Pacífico community in Santa Elena. He covered various murders, verified how narco-trafficking works, and the mechanisms organized crime uses to perpetuate its power. According to the Economist article, cocaine has transformed Ecuador from one of the most stable countries in South America <if you don’t count the revolving door presidencies> with safer streets and a higher quality of life than many of its neighbors, into the most dangerous country on the continent. <So let’s enjoy the island of peace that’s Cuenca while it’s still an island of peace.>
The article covered Durán where the Government is absent and gangs govern, manage water service, demand “vacunas” and recruit children. On average, there is a killing every 19 hours. Luis Chonillo, mayor of Duran and known as the “alcalde nómada” (nomadic mayor) has survived 2 assassination attempts in which 3 people died. He governs from clandestine locations. For Lester Cabrera, a professor specializing in security themes, Durán is an example of how security policies centered only on large cities has translated into violence in rural and peripheral sectors which were abandoned. He compared it with pushing on a balloon – the air just goes to another part of the balloon, so concentrating on urban Guayaquil pushed gangs into Durán. He said what has happened in Ecuador is a deinstitutionalization, evidenced above all by the jails which became logistical centers for criminal gangs where criminals felt safer than outside since they could freely operate their illegal businesses. With the large amounts of money made, they could arm their “personnel” and outgun the police and armed forces. The magazine pointed out another factor fueling the violence which is the economic crisis. It was mainly a product of the pandemic which made people like banana plantation workers more vulnerable since they only earn $3/day while they can make $100 transporting drugs. Children with an average age of 12 are recruited in Durán and paid $200 to store drugs.
Apagones afectaron exportación minera (Power outages affected mining exports) – Mining is no exception to the losses experienced by the productive sector due to the blackouts. Rebeca Illescas, vice-minister of Mines, expects a reduction of 20% in mining income this year. In 2023, mining income to the country was $3.4 billion. The expectation for 2024 was a 30% increase, but will be a 20% decrease. The largest losses will be because Mirador mine, owned by the Chinese company Ecuacorriente, has operated at 50% of capacity since 10 days ago, and in the 30 days before that it operated at a minimal level including stopping completely due to lack of energy. Mirador needs 80 megawatts while the State is providing less than half that, which is what the mine is operating with since it is not self sufficient in energy.
Exports will be suspended for a month while the regulatory agency is restructured. Before, the agency regulated mining, petroleum, and electricity. Now there will be 3 institutions. <Funny how no electricity limits the productive sector, but doesn’t do a thing to restrict proliferation of bureaucracy.>
And that’s all for today so hasta ? –
Jeanne
