The controversial path of the Santiago monorail is heading for a crucial legal decision next month, as a judge is set to rule on a citizen-led lawsuit alleging the project has deviated from its original design, threatening neighborhoods and vital green spaces, as reported in El Caribe.
Judge Alicia Mabel Guzmán Bencosme, president of the Civil and Commercial Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Santiago, has scheduled Wednesday, 6 August 2025 as the date to announce her decision on a writ of amparo filed by local residents and community organizations. These groups contend that the altered route of the monorail infringes upon protected areas and violates initial permits.
At the heart of the legal challenge are concerns about the project’s impact on the Los Burgos stream, a natural area that locals fear will be significantly harmed by the new monorail structures. The monorail, a central government initiative, is being executed by the Trust for the Development of the Mass Transit System (Fitram) in collaboration with various contractors. Residents of the Reparto Universitario neighborhood argue that the construction not only threatens to alter the local ecosystem but also violates land-use laws and natural resource protection regulations.
Mito Núñez, legal representative for the plaintiffs, told Diario Libre that despite the ongoing legal action, construction companies have already begun diverting the original route toward protected green areas, causing alarm within the community. Residents assert that the originally granted permits stipulated a different path for the project, specifically along Salvador Estrella Sadhalá Avenue, rather than through residential zones and ecologically sensitive areas like the Los Burgos stream. Núñez emphasized that the community is committed to upholding its constitutional right to preserve the environment and its protected areas, vowing to prevent equipment access to the disputed site.
Judge Guzmán Bencosme’s upcoming decision will determine whether the community’s arguments will halt or alter the ongoing construction along the current route. The 6 August ruling is highly anticipated, as it will be a pivotal moment for the development of the Santiago monorail and could establish a significant precedent for environmental protection and regulatory compliance in future infrastructure projects across the region.
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El Caribe
30 July 2025