Frustration is the name of the game lately in Ecuador . Today we started off with another protest
rally at the MIESS, the Government department that oversaw the Cooperatives
prior to SEPS jumping in and liquidating ours.
The lawyers and the Prefect again went in and came out almost an hour
later with nothing more concrete to add.
We were then told that we were heading to the most popular
radio station in Cuenca
“Voice of the Tomebamba” because the SEPS rep was going to be interviewed. We hitched a ride with and Ecuadorian named
Fernando and he apologized to us for being in this mess. It was none of his doing yet he was
apologizing to us on behalf of his countrymen.
We thought that was pretty special.
At the radio station on Vegas Monoz we waited around the corner until
the SEPS rep entered and then we demonstrated while he was being
interviewed. We were listening on car
radios and one of the Cuencanos said to me that everything was negative. Somehow our lawyer and prefect got invited
inside and also got on the radio.
Nothing uplifting arose from that but the SEPS fellow agreed to a
meeting with our groups back at MIESS with 10 representatives, in return for
safe passage away from our demonstration.
So, back to the MIESS office we went. The white faces were dwindling so I offered
to be one of the 10 representatives, to represent the gringo views. But, we were then informed that the meeting
was now moved to the SEPS office itself, way further east. Our new ride, an English-speaking spokeswoman
named Elise had to drop off her friend first, further west, so by the time we
arrived at the SEPS office, the meeting had begun with only the usual suspects
and the results just as predictable. The
SEPS dude has absolutely no concrete numbers to work with so we are still completely in the
dark, He claims sympathy with us
but……….. This is the man holding our money and he can't tell us anything we don't already know. Ugh..
There is another meeting tomorrow at the Prefect’s office
and the plan is for as large a group as possible to take private buses (about
$25) Sunday night to Quito, a good 7-8 hour drive, and to camp in front of the
Presidential palace/parliament because the President is known to be at the
changing of the guards every Monday morning.
I suppose the hope is to try to wangle a meeting with President Correa,
however farfetched that will be. We
still have not heard any results of the meeting that was supposed to have taken
place on Monday. And so, as the stomach turns…..
Bella was off to Bridge Club.
That was today’s excitement.
Cheers, Al
Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/
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