The City Hall of the National District reacted promptly to a report in Listin Diario and began removing debris and discarded items from their location in the Mirador del Sur Park. The garbage began to be trucked to the Duquesa landfill. The report drew public attention to the cluttered state of that area of the park.
The site in question had become increasingly disorderly, with neighbors and visitors complaining of visual pollution and safety concerns. The accumulation of what many referred to as “junk” or “cachivaches” — including supermarket trolleys, wheelbarrows, metal sheets, and advertising boards — had given the impression of an unofficial dump within the park.
In a follow-up, Listin Diario reported that the Defense and Use of Public Spaces Department (DUEP), a division of the National District City Hall, acted. According to Lieutenant Colonel José Aníbal Sanz, head of the DUEP, the items — including carts, tarps, signage, old vehicles, and other makeshift structures — were loaded into large municipal trucks and transported directly to the landfill.
“Because the trucks were already full, they did not need to stop at the transfer station,” explained Sanz. “We’re acting swiftly to remove the remaining items to prevent further inconvenience to residents.”
The DUEP clarified that the clutter was a result of their quarterly enforcement operations, which aim to reclaim public spaces across the capital. Items held in the facility are subject to a 90-day retention period, allowing their original owners — often street vendors — to claim them. After this period, or if the owner fails to attend a municipal summons, the objects are deemed abandoned and scheduled for disposal.
Local residents expressed cautious optimism, hoping the cleanup would be permanent. “They made an effort. Let’s hope it wasn’t just for show,” said one neighbor. “Imagine a storm throwing all that junk around — it would’ve been a disaster.”
The city government is currently seeking a larger, more suitable storage facility for confiscated items to avoid future disturbances in residential areas.
Sanz also noted that vendors are informed upon seizure that they are violating multiple laws and regulations, including Law 176-07, Municipal Ordinance 1-2021, and Traffic Law 63-17, which address obstruction of public spaces. Depending on the severity of the infraction, vendors are typically given between 24 hours and 20 days to recover their belongings before they are disposed of.
The DUEP has pledged to complete the removal of all remaining debris in the coming days.
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Listin Diario
Listin Diario
DR1 News
23 June 2025