The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources has indicted the senator for Independencia Province, Dagoberto Rodriguez Adames, for devastating protected areas within the limits of Lago Enriquillo National Park. As reported in Diario Libre, the case against the senator and two other individuals alleges that they are responsible for having opened a trail 30 meters wide and 4,144 meters long and the deforestation of some 12.5 hectares of black mangroves, which affected plant and animal species within the Biosphere Reserve. “These people are responsible for damage to a protected area with an extremely fragile ecosystem and which constitutes an important biodiversity reserve,” states the indictment. Rodriguez Adames told Diario Libre yesterday that the case has been passed on to his lawyers and that they are ready to fight. He declared that he was willing to give up his parliamentary immunity to go to court.