With Armed Forces Minister Manuel de Jesus Florentino seated beside him, the Minister of Public Works, Diandino Pe?a, cautioned construction materials company executives that armed force would be deployed, if necessary, to halt the illegal extraction of sand and gravel from river beds. His warning was given at a meeting that brought together ecologists, construction company personnel, and representatives of grass roots organization that seeks to protect the rivers of San Cristobal Province, and elsewhere. San Cristobal has been particularly outspoken in its efforts to stem the disturbance of the river beds by "exploiters" who are said to have mined the materials without government intervention for more than 20 years. The province’s government has passed numerous resolutions directed toward halting the practice. Last week, the environmental group calling itself Provincial Coordination in Defense of the Rivers Nizau, Nigua and Yubaso, convened a province-wide strike, the first one ever in defense of the country’s environment. Fausto Araujo, a San Cristobal representative in the Chamber of Deputies, has introduced legislation that would strengthen laws governing the disturbance of river beds. Ecologists have alleged that 120 of the rivers and streams have disappeared taking 30% of the country’s vegetation cover with them. Another meeting of the group, to include representatives of the Department of Water Resources and the Ministry of Tourism, is scheduled for next week.
