Our first lap around Ilaló to have Ilaló back.
On Sunday, July 16th, more than 200 cyclists gathered to pedal around the Ilaló volcano. Women, men, young people, and children strenuously but happily rode 31.4 kilometers of the wonderful rural landscapes of the parishes of La Merced, Tumbaco, and Guangopolo that surround the volcano.
At the meeting points: La Merced, Tola Chica, and Guangopolo, cyclists and inhabitants of the localities visited the educational tents to learn about the historical, environmental, and cultural values of the Ilaló volcano and understand the reasons why it must be protected, in addition to enjoying the dance and music of the Rucos del Ilaló, Margarita Condo, the Saraswati Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the traditional dance group “La Resistencia”.
The first “Ilaló de Vuelta” cycling tour was attended by distinguished city authorities: Pabel Muñoz, Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Quito, María Fernanda Racines, Vice Mayor, Santiago Sandoval, Secretary of the Environment, Rosa Mireya Cárdenas, Zonal Administrator of Los Chillos, and Ginger Coral, President of the Parish GAD of Guangopolo.
Xiomara Izurieta, representing Colectivo Ilaló Verde, delivered to the Mayor, in a symbolic act, the signatures collected during the day of the event requesting the efficient coordination of institutional and citizen actions for the protection and recovery of Ilaló and the implementation of a cycle path around the volcano that promotes sustainable mobility.
While Diego Puente, representative of CiclóPolis, highlighted how the participation of cyclists and the appropriation of public spaces help to generate citizenship.
We especially thank all the people who dared to pedal, the people and institutions that presented their exhibitions in the educational tents (Museum of Natural History of the National Polytechnic School, Bernardo Beaté, José Bucheli, Isaac Llulluna, Nina Sherwood, Magi Iza, Carlos Cóndor, Laura Montilla, Michell Chiluisa from ESPE, José Granizo, Jaime Gavidia, Antonella Amores, Abigail Vinueza, Michelle Suntaxi, Doménica Valenzuela from the Pontifical Catholic University), the GAD of Pichincha, the Zonal Administrations Los Chillos and Tumbaco, the GAD of La Merced and Guangopolo for their support in the organization and inter-institutional coordination, ESPE for the support of its students as cycling guides, and the Tola Chica community for providing us with the appropriate physical space to carry out the educational and social activity of the event as it passed through Tumbaco.
This first cycling tour would not have been possible without the work of all the institutions that are part of the “Ilaló de Vuelta” proposal.
