The Defensoria de los Habitantes Demands Accountability!

Lot's of stuff to update you on, so here is another post.  Over the past month the Fund for Costa Rica and other folks in Manuel Antonio have been in touch with the Defensora de los Habitantes (Costa Rica Ombudsman) to express our concern about the numerous irregularities regarding construction in the area.  As has been amply posted on this blog, it has become a generalized practice to cut trees and eliminate the forest without permission from the Ministry of the Environment.

The Defensora, Lisbeth Quesada, is very concerned about so much illegal deforestation and yesterday she ordered the Quepos mayor, municipal council members, and the Secretary General of SETENA (the government department which evaluates the environmental impact of building projects) to appear at her office in San Jose to hear the concerns of the Q/MA community and to provide an explanation.  Not only that, she called the press!

Well, myself, the Aguirre Tourism Board, and ASCOMOTI presented a number of cases where SETENA and the Aguirre Municipality have turned a blind eye to the environmental destruction of the area.  Mayor Alex Contreras, in particular, was in the hot seat for a number questionable actions on his part.  Some of the questions asked: Why did he approve building permits on Playa la Macha when the Ministry of the Environment informed him that the area is a forest?  In the case of the Karolas condos why did he approve a construction permit for a construction twice the size of that presented to SETENA?  There was no answer from Mayor Contreras.  The Defensora was none too pleased and ordered a written response to these and other questions by Monday July 10.

Thanks Defensora Quesada for your excellent work!  Matt

Defensora Quesada putting Mayor Contreras (foreground) in the hot seat!

Channel 11 news was there to film the action!