The civil society movement SOS Environment (SOS Ambiente) has already collected more than 27,000 signatures in a public plea to the Executive Branch to remove Environment Minister Angel Estévez. He has been in the position since 2016.
This is a first time such a motion is presented to the Medina Administration. Prior to his appointment to the position, Estevez was the minister of Agriculture from 2014 to 2016.
Al Pais deputy Fidelio Despradel has gone on record saying that Estevez’s private business interests as a leading agroindustry supplier, including importing Monsanto products, is in direct contradiction with his role as Minister of Environment.
Furthermore, Estevez has been a strong supporter of farming efforts in National Parks. He has repeatedly stated that avocado trees are just trees and are good for the environment, despite it being widespread knowledge that avocados subtract from water resources rather than add to these.
The signatures are of people that are concerned with the deterioration of national water and forestry resources. In the petition, they say that the very bad management of the environment portfolio by Estevez is detrimental to natural resources that are essential for the environmental and economic sustainability of all inhabitants in the Dominican Republic, and particularly detrimental to national parks and protected areas. They demand that President Danilo Medina immediately replace Angel Estevez from the position. They say protected areas have been devastated by illegal agriculture that Minister Estevez strongly backs.
SOS Ambiente was favored by a ruling by the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) that orders the end to illegal farming in the Valle Nuevo National Park, but the decision has been ignored by the government minister.
“Ángel Estévez does not have the managerial capacity or technical knowledge to be Minister of the Environment. His backing of agricultural exploitation of protected areas has contributed to an aggressive deterioration of our natural resources,” said Chino Sing, a founding member of the environmental organization.
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Z101
Nuria Piera
16 May 2019