The sellers of the traditional Hobeña almojábanas expressed their disagreement with the eviction order from the Central Plaza of Hobo, by the Municipal Mayor’s Office, which intends to comply with a court ruling. Despite recognizing the need for permanent relocation, Mayor Yhon Alber Mora admits that Hobo “does not have a budget.”
María Alejandra Ruiz Mallungo X- @amperiodista
“Mr. Mayor, how are we going to leave the main park, Simón Bolívar (Hobo, Huila) when you know that the town’s economy depends on artisanal fishing and street sales; but keep in mind that fishing has ended and the productive lands of the municipality have been flooded since the construction of El Quimbo”, thus, the sellers of the traditional almojábanas hobeñas, an icon of the gastronomy of the place and an obligatory whereabouts of travelers, expressed their dissatisfaction. who pass by there, after the order to evacuate the central square.
Eviction order
The discontent of the nearly 200 vendors in the central square of Hobo, who chose to demonstrate through a sit-in, on Route 45 of the road that leads to the south of Huila, is as a result of the eviction order from the main park that It was sent to the president of the Hobo Street and Stationary Vendors Association, Nanci Polanía, last Wednesday, May 22, by the Municipal Mayor’s Office.
This order seeks to enforce a court ruling that “ordered and/or granted the municipality of Hobo a period of two months to carry out a temporary relocation and three months to present a work plan for the definitive relocation of stationary street vendors.” .
Misuse and occupation
The judicial action arises from the filing of a popular action filed by the 11th Judicial Prosecutor II Environmental and Agrarian of Huila and which demanded that: “The main park “Simón Bolívar” of the Municipality of Hobo, is a healthy place for the recreation and recreational development, of its inhabitants and those who pass through it; However – he mentions – that for some time, it has been given improper use and occupation, following the permissiveness of the municipal administration, to authorize in an uncontrolled manner the presence of individuals dedicated to economically exploiting public areas.
In the same document, the representative of the control body argues that there is an imminent risk to the lives of the vendors and mobility problems, since “they offer edible products on the main national road that is located on the main park of said municipality.” ”.
Under this reasoning, the Second Oral Administrative Court of the Judicial Circuit of Neiva resolved on October 11, 2017: First, protect the collective rights to the enjoyment of a healthy environment; second, order the Municipality of Hobo, within a period of one month, to take the steps to establish the number of stationary vendors that are located in the park. After this time, the municipality should temporarily relocate the people already characterized and advance the efforts to “definitively relocate street vendors.”
Seven years later, due to this ruling, the mayor of the municipality, Yhon Alber Mora Lizcano, orders the Association of Street and Stationary Vendors of Hobo to use the site called “Parador Turístico” as a temporary space for their daily economic activities. This was what generated indignation among the workers.
“It’s not fair that they take us out like dogs”
During the peaceful demonstration carried out yesterday, on the main national road, by the stationary workers of the Hobo market square, their banners read “Mr. Mayor, no to the transfer, we want a dignified relocation. Hobo; We do not want mistreatment but peace”, evidencing the total rejection that this order made by the mayor generated.
At other times during the protest, one of the vendors stated that although they already knew about the court ruling “for some time”, they do not consider the way in which they want to evict them from the main park to be fair or appropriate.
“We do abide by the ruling because it is already a fact, but it is also true that we have the right to work, because many families depend on us… And it is not fair that they take us out like dogs overnight without finding solutions,” he stated. the seller.
The feeling of ‘injustice’ is general in the almost 200 vendors, who survive from the daily profits that their products offered within the framework of the central square of Hobo, which has many years of history, since this place is known as a ‘must see’ stop for travelers who travel along Huila’s roads, thanks to the gastronomic diversity, and especially, for the traditional hot almojábanas that are sold and that are characteristic and representative of the municipality.
According to the protesters, “previous mayors and rulers played with our feelings.” The workers at the plaza say they feel “cheated” and without “decent” facilities to continue selling their almojábas, quesillos, guarapos and other products to travelers from Huila and Colombia.
“That inn does not work for us, Mr. Mayor.”
Nancy Polania, leader of the Hobeño vendors, during the sit-in on route 45, Ruta al Sur, explained that dialogues were being held with Mayor Yhon Alber Mora, who “offers us for now, ‘El Parador’, the white elephant as we all tell him.”
Alluding to the construction carried out by the Government of Huila and the Mayor’s Office of Hobo, in 2007, with an investment of nearly $1,000 million, which was intended to be the place where the stationary vendors would be located. “At this moment, the parador, where it is located (which is) at the exit of the town, is not suitable for us. (There is) a ravine, where there is a fishing boat at the top, (which) affects us, that gives off a bad smell. (El Paradero) is a part where we sell food,” Polanía explained.
From the Association of Sellers they justify their disagreement with the administration’s decision, stating that: “We already did the therapy of going there with previous administrations, and it did not work for us. All day long, only about 4 people sold 5,000 pesos.”
The president concluded that “all families depend on the plaza, we depend on it, so that hostel does not work for us, Mr. Mayor.”
Insufficient budget
Mayor Yhon Alber Mora, after the call and demand made by the community, for him to reach the place where the demonstration was taking place, moved to talk with the street and stationary vendors in the central square. The president was accompanied by the municipal representative, Viviana Andrea Astudillo, and uniformed Police officers.
At the scene, Lizcano stated that: “I assume administrative responsibility; The job of mayors is to respond to problems and I have been in that position since the first day I received the administration.”
During his speech, he recognized that one of the great limitations that the Municipality of Hobo has is the economic capacity to carry out works that adapt to the needs, in this case of the vendors of the main “Simón Bolívar” park.
“I understand the work they have been doing and the great limitations that we have in resources, to be able to build an infrastructure in decent conditions, for the service they provide, with the commercialization of food,” Mora commented.
Which generates great concern, according to the Mayor, when carrying out the eviction order, “a very complex situation, because the municipality of Hobo does not have the resources to relocate them temporarily, much less for a infrastructure, since they do not have the resources.”
At the end of the dialogues with the assembled community, he promised to “make all the tools and all the efforts available to work with them, and find a solution as soon as possible. We have considered some possibilities to speak with property owners, who are located on the Southern Route, to look at all the feasibility that will allow us to relocate them”, however, he was emphatic in ensuring that thinking about a project in a variant could expose them to the construction of “a white elephant”.
After almost noon of intermittent traffic stoppage, sit-in, harangues and petitions, the stationary vendors in the central square of Hobo reached an agreement with the Mayor’s Office to end the demonstration and begin the analysis of a property that would allow them a decent space. work and, in addition, does not prevent locals and visitors from trying the iconic almojábanas hobeñas and other products sold there.
