The Governor of Antioquia, Aníbal Gaviria Correa, visited the municipality of Rionegro, in eastern Antioquia, to learn about the damage left by the fire occurred in the historic center of this municipality on January 27, which destroyed several premises recognized by the Ministry of Culture as historical heritage of the country, and 27 people without employment.
The departmental president indicated that one of the main difficulties that arises, after this fact, is that of the national heritage or cultural heritage. “There, more support from the Ministry would be needed,” he said, adding that “historical heritage, we all want to defend and protect itbut it cannot be done at the expense of the economy of their owners or of those who are in any way occupying them, and it cannot be done at the risk of the people who use them.”
In this sense, he assured that there must be legislation and regulations on the part of the Ministry that allow its conservation, safely and economically profitable. According to the mayor of Rionegro, Rodrigo Hernández Alzate, the situation is complex for the economy of the municipality, for the patrimony and for those who depended on these businesses, since there Several commercial premises were compromised, leaving 27 people unemployed.
As expressed by the Governor of Antioquia, ways will be explored to help the victims of this firedespite qualifying the situation as complex for the Government, from the legal point of view, given that economic support for those who were affected becomes difficult due to be private.
The mayor of Rionegro pointed out that the victims have received psychological and social care and a permanent work group has been set up to solve the employment problem for those who lost everything and build bridges with banking entities to obtain soft loans.
Aníbal Gaviria, likewise, highlighted the immediate and timely reaction of the firefighters of the municipality and neighboring municipalitiesachieving that the conflagration did not spread and that no victims were presented for these events.
“Immediately we learned of the fact, I called the mayor Rodrigo and put at his disposal not only Dagrán, the Risk Management Department of Antioquia, but also the collaboration that could be provided from the Government of Antioquia. But obviously, it seems to me that the reaction of the firefighters of Rionegro and neighboring municipalities was extremely timelyThat is why the conflagration could be prevented from growing”, assured the Antioquian president.