The muralist was also hired in 2012 to carry out works in the judicial complexes of Guayaquil, Ibarra, Ambato, among other cities.
The contract that the Prefecture of Pichincha assigned to the artist Pavel Egüez Rivera will remain. The muralist will be in charge of mounting a work of more than 500 square meters to commemorate the bicentennial of the Battle of Pichincha, which is celebrated on May 24.
Yesterday, January 31, 2022, the prefect Paola Pabón said that of the $74 million from the entity’s budget, 2% (about $1.5 million) was earmarked for culture. Most of the funds will go to events intended for the commemoration of the Bicentennial. Of those $2 million, at least a third will go to Egüez. Pabon He indicated that, despite the criticism, he will continue with the processes.
The contract signed by the Prefecture and Egüez Rivera it will be of $480,000. 70% of that value has already been delivered, according to information that the entity sent to LA HORA. “For which the contractor granted the respective guarantees of good use of the advance, in accordance with the provisions of the seventh clause of the contract.”
He had more income during the ‘Revolution’
Egüez increased his income tax payments during the government of Rafael Correa. A review of the system Internal Revenue Service confirms this. For example, in 2014, when he had a contract with the Prosecutor’s Office, he paid $23,894. The second year in which he paid more taxes was 2017, the last year that Correa governed. Then, he no longer records contributions to the treasury.
Special Regime Contracts
LA HORA published in a previous edition that Egüez, who was part of the directory of the Citizen Revolution, was the only one invited to participate, under the special regime modality, in the prefectural contract. In a technical report for the elaboration of the mural, it was indicated that it met all the parameters.
From the Prefecture they explained the reasons for Egüez to be invited directly. They said, for example, that the artist is the main exponent of Ecuadorian muralism and that the polychrome ceramic technique was chosen, which Egüez uses.
The entity added that this technique is “high durability and resistance to city conditions, and it has a great capacity to increase its symbolic and patrimonial value over the years”. This will serve, according to the response of the Prefecture, to recover the public space of the sector dand Santa Prisca, where it will be raisedand contribute to the safety and reactivation of the neighborhood economy.
More contracts with the State
Egüez has had other contracts under the special regime. In 2012 he signed a contractwith the Council of the Judiciary for $850,000 without VAT for the “Elaboration of Exterior Murals and Canvas Prints for each Judicial Unit of the Council of the Judiciary.” The document does not specify how many frames should be made, nor the technical specifications of each one.
This work was endorsed by the Civil Infrastructure Axis of the Council of the Judiciary which issued a technical feasibility analysis and recommended hiring Egüez directly.
In another document, made by the contract administrator, it is observed that works were required for the complexes courts of Guayaquil (Provincial Court and Valdivia), Cayambe, Ibarra, Santa Elena, Huaquillas, Chone and Ambato. On March 18, 2013, the suspension of the contract was notified due to “causes not attributable to the contractor”. And it is not reported if the works continued.
In an Internet page that details the works of Egüez, it is highlighted that he also made the murals of the judicial complexes of El Puyo, Tena.
The Prosecutor’s Office also hired Egüez
In 2014, the muralist also signed a million-dollar contract, but with another institution: the State Attorney General’s Office, led by Galo Chiriboga, a former minister in the Rafael Correa government.
The work entitled Grito de la Memoria, which is located between Patria and 12 de Octubre avenues, cost $300,000. The contract was signed on July 15, 2014, after a process by Special Regime, in which, as now, Égüez was the only one invited to participate.
The coordinator of the National Anticorruption Commission, Alejandro Rodas, highlighted the artistic importance of Egüez, but asked that the contracting issues under the pretext of the Bicentennial be transparent. “Egüez’s trajectory is recognized in the art environment. In any case, what worries me is that Mr. Egüez’s participation has been achieved, perhaps without any other option”.
For this reason, he recommended the creation of a National Committee for the Bicentennial Reminder and thus prevent certain authorities from using the commemoration for political purposes or, worse still, to squander resources.
The rate is in force, according to the Prefecture
The prefect from Pichincha, Paola Pabonassured yesterday that the vehicle registration rate that was will start charging from this year to raise approximately $6 million.
The resources, he insisted, will go to a fund for the maintenance of the rural roads from the province .
The official stated that despite the criticism, she will continue with the decisions made. “Many of these accusations come from politicians who are already in electoral contest. I am an acting authority and I must be responsible for financing the projects. It’s not popular, but it’s the right thing ”.
He added that in at least 17 other provinces similar charges are made to finance rural infrastructure.
