A popular action filed against the social manager of the Timaná municipality, Angie Lorena Gasca, stopped for now what would be an arbitrary intervention of the site known as Aguas Calientes, a source of medicinal hot springs that seeks to be protected by the community with the in order to avoid alteration of the ecosystem.
Diario del Huila, Investigation
Just ten minutes by car from the urban area of the municipality of Timaná, in the south of Huila, in the Sicana village, there is a source of hot springs that for many years was the meeting point for locals and visitors. ‘Aguas Calientes’, as it has always been known, is a natural attraction that today has become a bone of contention between the Municipal Administration and the citizens.
As learned by Diario del Huila, on September 6, the Second Civil Court of the Circuit of the Municipality of Pitalito ordered the immediate cessation of the earth removal, construction and channeling activities carried out at the site known as ‘Aguas Calientes’, until the Popular Action, filed by lawyer Adolfo León Vargas Polanco, is resolved in substance.
The place in Timaná is widely recognized for its cultural importance and, above all, its tourist attraction, while at the same time it is valued for its commitment to environmental conservation. So far, it has been confirmed that Mrs. Angie Lorena Gasca, who is the permanent companion of Mayor Marco Adrián Artunduaga, has been carrying out a series of interventions on this site.
Recently, we visited the place and observed that work has been carried out to open roads, move earth, cut down trees and, worryingly, the natural flow of sulfur water that was originally supposed to flow into the Sicana stream has been altered. This has led to the creation of a type of natural water pool, similar to the Rivera hot springs. This situation was pointed out by the municipality’s representative, lawyer Marco Cortés Guzmán.
This situation was notified to the environmental authority in Huila, the Autonomous Corporation of Alto Magdalena CAM, on August 22. In said communication, lawyer Vargas Polanco urged that the necessary measures be taken for the protection and conservation of the place. This notification was made in response to a complaint spread through social networks, where a video was shared that showed the activities that Mrs. Angie Lorena Gasca had been carrying out on the site.
Through a Popular Action and a request to the CAM, protesters demand protection for Aguas Calientes and its natural ecosystem.
no consensus
The second part of this issue relates to the lack of involvement of any community members to inform them about the plans related to the land. This is important because the land originally belonged to an individual, a lady who, before her death, would have made it clear that the place was not available for sale or lease to her. However, on the day the municipality’s social manager was approached, she claimed to be the tenant of the land, a situation that until then seemed unlikely.
On the other hand, the Mayor’s Office of Timaná has expressed its intention to recover this spring for the enjoyment of all residents, arguing that the place had been abandoned. However, it is important to note that this improvement is not being carried out through any public or environmental restoration project, and no detailed explanation of its actual objectives has been provided.
Instead, these actions appear to be private in nature, which has led the community to perceive this as a possible commercial exploitation project by Angie Lorena Gasca, as expressed by the municipality representative.
According to the statement of Adolfo León Vargas Polanco, who filed the complaint, Aguas Calientes is a place of great significance for the residents of Timaná and the inhabitants of southern Huila, since it is a tourist destination recognized for its medicinal hot springs. «The mayor, through his girlfriend, seems to be trying to take over the place through an alleged lease contract that, possibly, does not even exist. This space has ceased to be private property and has become a public asset without an owner. Given its importance, it is protected by the Political Constitution and applicable environmental laws due to its status as a water spring. “The intervention carried out on this site appears to have been completely arbitrary and could even put its future existence at risk.”
It was Lawyer Adolfo León himself who noticed the interventions that were being carried out with machinery provided by the mayor’s office, given that he has been a resident in this area for the last 18 years. «I own a farm near the area, and upon observing the machinery in action, I went to the site and recorded what was happening. At that time, he did not know that Mrs. Angie Lorena Gasca was the companion of the municipal mayor. She argued that the land was privately owned and that environmental permits and water concessions were already being processed before the competent authority, although she could not provide evidence of such procedures at that time. Now, we have filed the complaint and the Second Civil Court of the Pitalito Circuit has determined that the Popular Action is appropriate. “We hope that, in about a month, the entire judicial process will be completed and that justice will support our cause, allowing us to stop this damage that is being inflicted on nature and the hot spring.”
The social manager speaks
Diario del Huila spoke with Angie Lorena Gasca, the social manager of the municipality of Timaná, to address her decision to start these works. She stated that she has owned the property for approximately nine months. After carrying out extensive research to locate the owners, she managed to establish contact with them after three years. These owners have been paying taxes on the land for the last 50 years. After reaching an agreement with them, access to the tourist site was allowed to carry out improvements, adaptations and the recovery of the medicinal natural area known as “Aguas Calientes.” Its goal is to turn Timaná into a recreation and tourism destination for both local inhabitants and visitors.
Angie Lorena Gasca also mentioned that she has all the legal documentation that supports her private ownership of the place, to put at the service of the public. Currently, she has submitted applications to the CAM (Autonomous Corporation of Alto Magdalena) to obtain the concession of the waters and the occupation of the channel, the beaches and the bed. Likewise, she is in the process of processing the necessary procedures and licenses for any possible construction and business investment in this area.
Gasca highlighted that, in her capacity as owner of the place, she has requested a visit from the CAM, which took place last Friday, with the purpose of denying the statements of lawyer Adolfo Vargas. This lawyer has tried to convince the competent authorities that environmental impacts are occurring, a situation that she maintains is not true. In addition, she expressed the suspicion that the lawyer could be taking advantage illegally by collecting thermal water for her livestock, which has been observed in improvised facilities on land that does not belong to him.