In an interview for El Despertador on Channel 9 on Tuesday, 28 June 2022, environmentalist Luis Carvajal called for the appointment of a full-time Minister of Environment who is clear on public policies and has the political will to enforce the law above particular interests. Carvajal said there continues to be administrative disorder, lack of management and islands of power within the Ministry of Environment.
When questioned about the extractions that threaten the existence of Nizao River, the environmentalist said this was not a unique situation. He spoke of the continued practice of granting irregular permits for extracting of aggregate in rivers all around the country. So far, there have only been penalties of an administrative nature, which he says ends up becoming a way to protect the offenders.
Carvajal explained the administrative disorder addressing the difficulties created by the internal conflicts among the deputy ministers and the minister.
“If the appointed minister does not have sufficient authority, you cannot know if his policies are adequate or not,” said the specialist when analyzing the work carried out by past ministers.
Carvajal also pinpointed the reality that many times the Minister of Environment and the technical staff at the Ministry take decisions according to Environmental Law 64-00, “and then the problem comes when after the Minister makes the decision, those who are below him do something different.”
He also mentioned the budgetary constraints for what is important. He spoke of scarcities for money for fuel for ministry vehicles and staff, lack of equipment, lack of payment to the park rangers. He said all this while the Ministry of Environment payroll is full of political appointees, people who earn the same as a deputy minister without having any specific functions.
“They have no fuel to monitor what is in front of their noses, the field personnel have no equipment, no vehicles,” emphasized Carvajal.
He said these are the issues the Vice President (acting minister of Environment) can now see for herself. Vice President Raquel Peña was appointed to the position while the President decides who will be replace late Minister Orlando Jorge Mera. Preliminary reports are that Jorge Mera was murdered for not authorizing irregular permits.
In this sense, Carvajal warned that the Ministry of Environment “demands a full-time minister, who can be inside, understand the complexity and who has sufficient authority so that there is a line of decision,” he said. Jorge Mera shared his role at the Ministry with that of delegate of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party to the Central Electoral Board (JCE).
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Noticias SIN
29 June 2022