Martes, 18/4/2017: 22-million cubic-meter landslide, Speed traps, Galería Illescas exhibit, Maduro beefs up the army

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Header event – 

CCE – The CCE presented its 2016 financial report today at 19:00 in its Sala de Conciertos.

Articles about –

Santiago Guillermo – This painter was born without the ability to move his arms, but he uses his mouth and teeth to hold his pencils and brushes.  His work is showing at he Economuseo del Sombrero (Rafael María Arízaga y Luis Cordero) and he has exhibited internationally.

Galería Illescas – The collective show “Visiones temporales” (Temporary views) is at the Gallería Illescas (Calle Larga 1-209). Five artists are showing and one is Norteamericano Garry Kaulitz.

Jorge Dávila – The writer’s recent book, “Árboles para soñar” (Trees for dreaming) concludes a trilogy he started in 2014.  This book will be launched at the Academia Ecuatoriana de la Lengua in Quito on jueves.

Premio Nacional de Artes Mariano Aguilera – Organizers of this national art prize are in Cuenca and Azogues today to give information about the prize which gives out ten $10,000 scholarships and a special recognition to an established artist of $20,000.

Ad for – Beriozka, el mejor ballet folclórico el mundo – Coliseo Mayor Jefferson Pérez – 21/4 – tickets at Ticketshow, Musicalisimo at the Mall del Río – call 099 282 5298 for more info – 50 artists on stage.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Cuenca, afectada por vía aérea (Cuenca, affected by air routes <or lack thereof>) –  Tame suspended its Cuenca-Guayaquil route yesterday.  See the article in CHL for more details.  <Maybe if a new airline could come in with cheap introductory fares it would attract people back to the planes and off the vans. Heck, an ad campaign with van passengers standing on the wrong side of a landslide – riding with a carsick passenger – the van driver speeding around blind turns in the wrong lane.>

Landslide – A macrodeslizamiento (macro landslide) moved about 22 million cubic meters of earth in El Membrillo, Nabón Canton.  600 meters of the vía La Ramada-Nabón was blocked at km. 11.  The cause was heavy rains aggrevated by “filtraciones” (leaks – I like this word – and it’s useful.) from a canal that feeds 7 family and 1 community reservoirs.

Back to school – Kids at the coast will start back to school on 24/4 in stages.

Japanese garden – A 1,560 square meter Japanese garden will be built in Quito inside the Botanical Garden in parque la Carolina to mark the 100th anniversary of friendly relations between Ecuador and Japan.

Recount – The partial recount happened today without CREO. Lasso’s appeal to the Tribunal Contencioso Electoral was not accepted because it asked for “acciones incompatibles” (incompatible actions – your words for the day).  <like “heads, I win; tails, you lose?>

Odebrecht – Brasil’s largest construction company was sentenced in NY to pay a $2.6 billion fine for bribery.  The company signed an agreement with the Brazilian courts admitting guilt and paying a fine.  77 Odebrecht officials named names in exchange for reduced sentences.  The scandal touched about 200 politicians who diverted money from Petrobras and took illegal campaign contributions allegedly including current Pres. Macri.

Trees – EMAC is cutting down trees that are in danger of falling. They were in Puertas del Sol yesterday, cutting trees next to the river.  To report unsafe trees call line 139.  <Or call your facilitator to make the call.>

Speeding – The transit cops are intensifying speeding control. They cited 33 drivers in an hour and half on 1 de Mayo near Loja for going over 50kph.  Other streets conducive to speeding are Gonzalez Suárez, Ordóñez Lasso, 12 de Octubre, Héroes de Verdeloma, 10 de Agosto, Los Conquistadores, Pumapungo y De las Americas.

Business page – JEP has introduced a new on-line banking service and is expanding geographically as well.

Amenidades –

Concierto – Monkey Roots (from Quito)  <you’d think they’d be from the coast.> will be at the República Sur (Pres. Córdova 5-55 between Mariano Cueva y Hermano Miguel) este viernes at 22:00.

Internacional –

Argentina – The Justice of Argentina dismissed that Pres. Macri committed the crime of money laundering.  The investigation was into Macri’s participation in businesses in tax havens.  <Is this is from something before the investigation into Odebrecht?>

Venezuela – Pres. Maduro approved a plan to expand the army by (or to) 500,000 and arm them with rifles.  <So what were they using before?  squirtguns?  This all sounds bad.>

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne