Municipality of La Florida withholds key information about the future of Bosque Panul
Through urban advisor Esteban Yuretic, the municipality has denied the information formally requested by Red Precordillera — meaning the matter must now be taken to the Comptroller's Office, with the obvious delays this entails.
Through urban advisor Esteban Yuretic, the municipality has denied the information formally requested by Red Precordillera — meaning the matter must now be taken to the Comptroller's Office, with the obvious delays this entails.
Since October of last year, the organized community warned about the possible judicial proceedings arising from the process that aims to destroy Bosque Panul, due to a series of irregularities incurred by the municipality and the Ministry of Housing — maneuvers that exposed the complete failure to amend the Municipal Zoning Plan (PRC). This delay was inexcusable, given that Rodolfo Carter and the rest of the municipality had three years to protect Panul through the PRC. The municipal consultation held two years ago is now well in the rearview mirror — it was less a commitment than a communications maneuver to appear to support the forest at a moment when the community had temporarily halted the project.
The municipal authorities were warned at the time about the legal vulnerability opened up by these irregularities, but they dismissed it. Thus, the path was cleared for real estate company Gesterra to file a complaint with the Comptroller's Office against everything the municipality had done — a very favorable scenario for the company that had been denounced previously (Municipality prepares deal for Bosque El Panul behind residents' backs).
In response, Red Precordillera formally requested information from the municipality about the complaint filed by Gesterra — only to receive a refusal from the urban advisor. This is inexplicable, since it is essential information for preparing the legal defense of the forest, especially considering that the errors were committed by the municipality itself, ignoring the community. Without this information, Red Precordillera will have to appeal to the Comptroller's Office, with the obvious delay and wasted effort this implies.
Thus, the municipality continues to show clear signs of having always chosen to allow construction in Panul, despite the overwhelming opposition generated by any intervention in this important ecosystem — an intervention that will damage everything that has survived.
Had the municipality been willing to protect Panul, the PRC amendment should have been made before November 7, 2013 — the day the construction permit freeze on the precordillera expired. Since this was not done, the company has a strong likelihood of having the Comptroller's Office or the courts force the municipality to undo everything and accept the real estate project. This does not mean its approval, but there is the precedent that Rodolfo Carter himself had previously approved the failed project in June 2011, three days after assuming office as the appointed mayor — meaning suspicions that the real estate project will receive the green light are growing increasingly plausible.
We call on everyone to stay alert and join the effort to build a park under community control.
Red Precordillera.
January 2014.
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