Masks, humor and creativity

Traditional contest brought together hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators on Huayna Cápac avenue.

The Peluditos Cuenca Foundation opened the parade yesterday at the traditional 2017 Masquerade Contest organized by the Amistad Club and the Union of Journalists of Azuay (UPA). This Organization, as part of its presentation, exhibited a cage with stuffed animals with what, according to Martha Parra, its director, showed the mistreatment of pets in places like the Feria Libre, in El Arenal.

Likewise, the participants of this comparsa were accompanied by the pets and made a call to the citizenship to respect the animals.

They were followed by the comparsa of the Nova educational center, which participated with the theme Los cuencanos and their traditional careers. For example, the one of the wooden cars, donkeys and also "the careers to pay taxes".

Then he passed the Initial Educational Center (CEI) with the theme The little dreamers and gave a message to not stop believing in the dreams and goals that they set out to achieve.

One of the purchases that most captivated the public was the one presented by the Sadamercian Institute. The theme was Ruliman, the misadventures of "one man".

The students of this establishment made a parody of the programs and projects that the Prefecture of Azuay has as the delivery of free milk and the asphalting of roads.

The students of this center carried posters in which they alluded to the constant requests of the population to improve road service in this jurisdiction. One of the most colorful comparasas of the night was the bakery and Pastry Marcelito, whose members danced to different rhythms. They were accompanied by a truck with a giant cake. It was followed by the Buena Esperanza educational center whose main attraction was the representation of the Cathedral of La Inmaculada, which was illuminated with led lights. The theme was why I love you Cuenca.

The American College Superior Technological Institute also participated with the theme Water is life, mining not so much. Some of his students paraded dressed as trees.

The Flores family from the mask sales place called Caras y Caretas also participated with the theme Forbidden To forget them. For that they used an allegorical car and large masks.

One of the most numerous troupes and that called the attention of the University of Azuay (UDA), with the theme Never Stop Dreaming.

They used trucks and in this they made representations of children's stories such as Snow White, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Alice in the Wonderland, among others.

The Vanegas family, which participates in this meeting every year, this time presented the theme The dead who left and the living who come. They personified Fidel Castro, president of Cuba, who died in 2016. Like every year Santiago Illescas, "the man voice" stole the show. On one platform he performed dressed as Rulimán, alluding to Soliman. "More agile than the IESS shift" was a phrase that accompanied him on the tour.

This year the Fire Department also joined this traditional party with the theme I care for my forest ... but who burns it, to call the public to prevent forest fires.

The Prefecture of Azuay paraded with two trucks in which showed a large iron of clothes from which came a smoke effect but also a representation of the tram.

Closing the nights the presentations of the University of Cuenca with the theme The circus of charradas and chendos; and some individual presentations.

The organizers of this contest offer a prize of 4.000 dollars for the first place in the institutional category; 1.500 dollars for the winner in the comparsas category; and 300 dollars for the winner in individual participation (I).

More details

• Some 150 Civil Transit Agents (ACT), of the Mobility Company (EMOV EP), of the Municipality of Cuenca, were in charge of traffic control during the 2017 Mascaradas contest.
• The University of Cuenca won the 2016 masquerade contest in the institutional category. The comparsa that he presented was called Pumataqui, a Quichua word that in Spanish means festival or dance of the puma.
• The 2017 Mascaradas contest offers for the first place in the institutional category a prize of 4.000 dollars, while for the first in the comparsas category a prize of 1.500 dollars.