Water bills headed higher; Money museum reopens; Symphony, choral concerts scheduled; Botanical garden to expand; Police thwart mob justice

Miércoles, 29/11/2023

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Un renovado Museo de la Moneda abre sus puertas (A renovated Museo de la Moneda opens its doors) – The former Museo Numismático will open as the Museo de Moneda with exhibits showing the history of bills and coins that circulate in Ecuador. This includes a 2nd floor area with an exhibit of objects of value from the pre-Colombian era to the present day. There will be a new area next to the entrance where you can buy Sucres and collectable books. Located at the Ecuador Central Bank on Calle Larga, museum hours are from martes a domingo, 8-17:00. Free.

The renovated Museo de la Moneda opens at the Banco Central in Cuenca. (El Mercurio)

Parroquia Santa Ana alista festival de la paja toquilla (Parroquia Santa Ana readies for toquilla straw festival) – The community of Toctepamba, located in the rural parish of Santa Ana, 30 minutes from the center of Cuenca, will have its first Festival de la Paja Toquilla el domingo, 3/11 a las 10:00. The activities will include exhibits of hats and other items made from straw, gastronomy and dance. Toctepamba also has a museum and for the festival, it will offer free guided tours. From el 1-8/12, there will be a workshop in the casa comunal from 14-17:00. It is also free, and if you want to know more about the workshop go to the Museo de la Paja Toquilla on Rafael María Arízaga y Luis Cordero.

Jornadas de cine y música habrá en la CCE del Azuay (Film and music days will be held at the CCE of Azuay) – Activities on the agenda for the rest of noviembre at the CCE include the Chilean film cycle with “Proyecto Fantasma” by Roberto Doveris hoy a las 19:00 in the Sala “Alfonso Carrasco” (Luis Cordero 7-22 y Pres. Córdova). Free.

On el 30/11 a las 20:00, a concert, “Cantautores a la vista” (Singer-songwriters in view) will be in the “Catalina Sojos” auditorium (Pres. Córdova 7-89, 3d floor). The concert will include Germán Coppola from Argentina, Kike Pacherres from Perú, and Cuencanos Renato Albornoz y Diana Urgiles. Cost: $8.00.

The last will be a short film, “Solana” by Boris Ortega y David Estrella. It will be in the Sala “Alfonso Carrasco” el 1/12 a las 20:00. Cost: $3.00. <Hey – this is Latin America where time works differently than in N. America, so the last event for noviembre on the 1st of diciembre is “on time.” Best get used to it or be prepared to be frustrated a lot. Or move to Japan, Germany or back to the US where things run on standard business time.>

Obra en el Pumapungo – “Consecuencias Imprevistas” (Unintended Consequences) will premier el 6/12 a las 19:00 in the Teatro Pumapungo. The work will use contemporary ‘partnering,’ improv, and physical theater. Free, but contributions happily accepted.

The University of Cuenca and the National Heritage Institute invite Cuenca’s foreign residents to the Weaving Heritage exposition Friday, December 1, at the front entrance of the University of Cuenca’s Rivera House (Paseo Tres de Noviembre and Mirador del Barranco), beginning at 9:20 a.m. The event celebrates the tradition of toquilla straw hat weaving and the United Nations declaration of Cuenca as a Cultural Heritage city. Activities include audiovisual displays, toquilla hat weaving demonstrations, a Panama hat fair, and a tour of heritage houses.

De El Mercurio del martes, 28/11/2023 (5 articles) –
Arquidiócesis organiza festival de coros (Archdiocese organizes choir festival) – The Archdiecese is presenting the 2nd Festival Arquidiocesano de Coros, “Cuenca un canto por la paz” which will be el 15/12 a las 19:00 in the Catedral de La Inmaculada Concepción (New Cathedral). This will unite various choirs in the city for the December fiestas. Those who wish to participate should submit a recording of their work and its lyrics to the offices of the Archdiocese on Bolívar y Luis Cordero. Special consideration will be given to unpublished works. The festival will be free. <I don’t think our family Christmas song, sung to the tune of Oh Come All Ye Faithful would be welcome. But I’ll share it with you before the sign off.>

Baños difunde agenda cultural para Navidad (Banos disseminates Christmas cultural agenda) – The Baños parish GAD (Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado) has an agenda of cultural activities that starts el 1/12 on calle Alfonso Carrión Heredia. At night it will light the Christmas tree and later there will be dance, Christmas carols, theater and bandas de pueblo performances. On el 2/12 there will be the 3d Festival de Maíz and a tribute to this food along with sharing recipes in a gastronomic area. There will be a entrepreneurs’ fair el 3/12 where products made by senior citizens in Baños will be for sale. All the events will be free.

Concierto de la Sinfónica – On el 1/12, the Symphony Orchestra of Cuenca will start its december concerts with a performance in the Teatro de la Casa de la Cultura a las 20:00. Smetana, Khachaturian and Beethoven will be on the program. Free.

Obra de danza, el viernes – The Compañía de Danza of the U. de Cuenca will present a new work el 1/12 a las 20:00 in the Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz. It will be a contemporary dance, “Y si hubiéramos caído” choreographed by the artist David Arias. Free.

Cierre de festival de música – To close the Festival de Música 4Ríos organized by the Arts Department of the U. de Cuenca, the university symphony orchestra and chorus will present Beethovan’s 9th Symphony. There will be 2 performances, on the 7 & 8/12 a las 20:00 in the Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz. Free.

Titular –

Abad acepta ir a Israel; Noboa le pide diálogo (Abad agrees to go to Israel; Noboa asks for dialogue) – (See today’s article in CHL for story.)

Cuenca –

Tarifas de agua subirán en enero (Water rates will go up in January) – The Board of Directors of ETAPA announced that based on a study received el 24/11, there will be an increase in water rates which will take effect in enero, 2024. Milton Pérez, a board member, said that the increase is necessary to meet the demands of repaying financing for the new wastewater treatment plant in Guangarcucho. He said the increase would not affect commercial users, but residential users who are the main consumers of water. Of the total users, 62% consume an average of 0-15 cubic meters per month, 20% use between 18 & 30 c.m., and the rest over 30 c.m.

In an interview, Mayor Cristian Zamora said the study took into account social interests, and in that sense, potable and waste water services will be guaranteed in the future. He asked for gradual increases in the rate and said that average usage, which is the majority of the population, will not be affected by more then $2-3.00. He also pointed out that the cost of a cubic meter of water in Cuenca is 50 cents and that people pay 50-75 cents for a liter or half liter of bottled water.

The following table shows the difference in your water bill between 2023 and 2024 for various consumption rates.

Para tercera fase de Jardín Botánico se demuele casas (Houses to be demolished for 3d phase of Botanical Garden) – With an agreement with the owners of property located along 24 de Mayo, the city started demolition of the houses which were close to 70 years old. The owners, who used the properties for planting, having domestic animals or renting out as sports courts, were compensated in a process started in 2016. The land will be used to enlarge the green areas in the 3d phase of the Jardín Botánico de Cuenca. The houses still standing are on municipal land and the occupants have been notified, and will be moved in the next few weeks. The new phase of the garden will start in the first 4 months of 2024.

Sucesos –

La Policía evita linchamiento (Police avoid lynching) – A new case of “frontier justice” occurred when a crowd of citizens surrounded a bus with a presumed delinquent on board who had intended to leave the San José de Balzay community where the crime was committed. The delinquent was accused of being a vacunador (vaccinator – protection racketeer). The Policía Nacional arrived and took custody of the presumed delinquent explaining that the procedure was for the victim to go the Prosecutor’s office and make a complaint and for the accused to face an arraignment hearing. However the citizens expressed no confidence in the justice system since the accused was freed after a few hours. Many of the residents of the area said they should take judgement in their own hands and administer either a beating or a beating with nettle to punish the alleged delinquent and warn him not to return to the neighborhood.

When the police left with the delinquent in the patrol car, they sprayed neighbors who were trying to hit the delinquent with pepper spray. This event followed another on the night of el 27&11 on av. Ordóñez Lasso near the access to San José de Balzay. That night some citizens united to capture presumed delinquents and caught a woman who was accused of alleged robbery of a business. The police took the woman into custody and away from the neighborhood. The residents burned a moto which was used by the woman and another person who succeeded in fleeing the location. Neighbors that night also expressed mistrust of the justice system and said they were tired of the continual robberies and the presence of the vacunadores.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Written one year when everyone had a cold, but well before COVID

Oh, come share a virus,
Sit down here beside us,
Come share a virus with the …… family.
Coughs, sniffles, sneezes,
Spreading our diseases.
Oh come and share a virus,
Oh come and share a virus,
Come share a virus with the ….. family.

Jeanne