One of the situations that the exambulants located in the Central Market of La Serena will raise with the authorities is the state of the access wall to the premises, which they consider a risk for them and passers-by.
Yesterday a meeting was held between the head of Municipal Security of La Serena, Gonzalo Arceu, and the former street merchants located in the Central Market of La Serena. The purpose was to analyze a series of situations, such as low sales, the state of the entrance wall, the alleged unfulfilled promises and the return of the street vendors who occupied the La Recova sector.
In relation to this, the spokesperson for the merchants established in the central market, Francisco Contreras, regretted that no concrete agreement was reached at the meeting. The only thing agreed upon was to call a new meeting in which Mayor Roberto Jacob, presidential delegate Galo Luna, the owner of the land and the exambulants participated.
“Arceu informs us that the issues we raise are not within his competence, which is why it is important to have the delegate’s presence. This refers to the training, although we were no longer able to apply to SERCOTEC. Furthermore, the issue of the wall worries us, it is a priority because it represents a danger both for us and for the citizens,” stated the leader of the merchants.
In this context, Contreras mentions that the situation of some of the merchants who, due to low sales, moved to the surroundings of La Recova, was discussed.
“Due to low sales, they moved there because they couldn’t afford to live. We know that they can be withdrawn, but there are not only people who belong to the market. There are also authorized street vendors and others who are from outside who are in that place,” she pointed out.
However, Contreras assures that before the day scheduled to hold the meeting, initially scheduled for next Tuesday – when Mayor Roberto Jacob returns – he will ask the vendors who went to La Recova to return to the Central Market.
And, according to Gonzalo Arceu, head of Municipal Security of La Serena, the fact that market vendors remain in the surroundings of La Recova is not the way to achieve commitments or agreements. In response to this request, some of them stated that they would discuss the issue in the assembly.
“We made them see that intervention by Carabineros and municipal inspectors was imminent, since we are not going to delay the recovery of that public space any longer,” said Arceu.
For his part, Gonzalo Arceu points out that the municipality’s commitment has always been to meet to dialogue, both with the previous board and the current one.
In that sense, the municipal official confirmed that a working meeting will be held with the authorities to address the structural situation of the market façade wall that presents problems, in addition to other types of support from non-municipal institutions. Therefore, the presidential delegate will be asked to manage these issues.
“The merchants expressed their complete intention to move forward with the Central Market and expressed that, as a board, they were unaware of some of the issues discussed with the previous board. As a municipality, we made them see this, and they were surprised not to have that information,” indicated the head of Municipal Security.
In this context, Francisco Contreras rules out that there has been any division with the previous board.
“They carried out both positive and negative actions, like anywhere. Several of them continue as market partners. It is important to understand that for most of us it was the first time we settled in a place, and mistakes were made during the process. Maybe wrong decisions were made, but they tried to find the best for everyone,” he said.
Regarding the closure project of La Recova, the regional coordinator of Public Security, Abel Lizama, maintained that since last April 26, the proposal presented by the municipality of La Serena to intervene in the sector has been approved, but from the municipality they pointed out that the leaders of the street merchants requested before, to meet with Mayor Roberto Jacob, the owner of the land and the presidential delegate, Galo Luna.
“We will have to see what is going to be discussed, because the proposal proposed by the municipality was approved and we are waiting for that to materialize. But today the municipality changes the conditions and will wait a couple more meetings. But we are going to continue working and do the work that is required and we will wait for what Mayor Jacob resolves,” he indicated.
For the same reason, Lizama said that they are waiting for the mayor’s approval to carry out the pertinent actions in the sector.
