The Oloncito estuary, in the commune of Olón, photo released by the La Iguana foundation.
The company Vinazin SA, of which Lavinia Valbonesi, wife of the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, is one of its main shareholders.announced this Saturday that it had given up going ahead with a real estate project in the coastal area of Olón, in the province of Santa Elena (southwest).
This after the scandal generated by the complaint of the community of Olón and several environmental groups regarding the alleged felling of mangroves under State protection in the area of the project called Echo.
Vinazin reported that he has made the decision to “suspend the work of the Echo Olón 1 infrastructure project, whose priority aspects were job creation, local investment and development of the town’s spa.”
The firm added that “it will carry out the enclosure of the privately owned land and will desist from continuing the rest of the work,” but stressed that it will not allow “the company to be used in order to chaoticize the sector and as a banner for political interests.”
He added that the project involved the “hiring of about 2,783 local people, who today will no longer be able to access that job opportunity, scheduled for a period of two years.”
“We are convinced that this innovative proposal not only proposed full employment for the sector, but also a new architectural vision, which would also stimulate the creation of local businesses and place Olón as an international tourist center,” the firm added in its statement.
After accusing political groups (which he did not identify) of manipulating the situation, Vinazin assured that he understands and respects “the legitimate concern of those who live in the sector.”
To them “we want to assure them that the project was always supported by all the required documentation, a mangrove was never touched, it has the environmental permits, forest inventory and records necessary in accordance with the law.” added the Valbonesi company.
Last Wednesday, the president of the country himself accepted that the Prosecutor’s Office investigate the real estate project linked to his wife, after the community of Olón and other environmental organizations reported that permits to cut down mangroves protected by the State had been processed irregularly. .
The project area is located around a small estuary in the town of Olón, where Noboa has his residence.
Although the Government has clarified that this project does not violate any law, the residents of Olón have insisted on their opposition to the project and have criticized that in recent days a significant deployment of police has been ordered in the area to control the community protest. EFE