The decision of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to expand the protected area of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Natural Park has generated debates in different sectors of Valledupar, municipality that represents el 12% of that conservation area.
Lea: The challenges of Valledupar with the protected area of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (part 1)
The most recent controversy was generated by two pre-candidates for mayor of this municipality, Camilo Quiroz, lawyer and doctor Alain Jimenezthrough the social network Twitter.
WITHOUT CITIZEN CONSULTATION?
Although Minister Susana Muhamad assured that there was consultation with the four indigenous peoples, Quiroz shared a video in a local medium where it ensures that the determination was “block”, without taking citizen participation into account.
“They are condemning Valledupar to not be able to carry out any project to store water and guarantee the supply for whats next 30 years”, added the former official of the Ministry of Housing.
Lea: Camilo Quiroz registered his political group to be a candidate for Mayor of Valledupar
Jimenéz was one of the people who responded and invited his political rival to “review” said position about the decision explained by Muhamad the March 14 at the airport of the capital of Cesar.
“Defending the water factory is essential, we are from the areas of the country with the greatest water scarcity, desertification rate and fragility in the face of climate change. The determination prohibits precisely large mining and the creation of infrastructure that affects the production of water sources”, wrote Jiménez Fadul, one of the six pre-candidates of the Historic Pact.