Maria Ruiz
The inhabitants of San Miguelito neighborhood They continue their fight by denouncing the lack of coordination between the Interapasthe Secretariat of Urban Development, Housing and Public Works (Seduvop), and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in the execution of rehabilitation works.
These works, aggravated by recent rains, have caused serious damage to the area’s hydraulic network. Neighbors report water shortages, leaks and collapsed drains, which has brought the situation to a critical point.
The formal complaints, presented through three requests for information with pages 330018324000455, 241487124000062 and 240470324000058reveal that the three instances disclaim responsibility for the poor execution of the works.
Although the INAH “generally” authorized the street rehabilitation project in March 2024, the may 31 of this same year admitted that various irregularities persist that have not yet been corrected by Seduvop.
The INAH has also indicated that work began on the section of Pascual M. Hernández street to Rayon without proper authorization, and that these continue without delivering the complete project. In addition, slots were opened without authorization in properties in the section of the Fernando Rosas street to Colonel Ontañóna situation that must be regularized by presenting the signatures of the owners and proposals to compensate for the damages.
The situation is desperate for residents, who suffer the direct consequences of these poorly coordinated works.
On the other hand, despite the serious problems in the hydraulic network, Interapas distances itself from its responsibilities under the argument that it is up to Seduvop to take charge, since this secretariat manages the development of the works.
For its part, Seduvop has denied information about the progress of the works, justifying that “there could be an impact” on the neighbors’ requests and on the two ongoing protection trials: No. 1257/2023-VI in it Sixth District Courtand the No. 1190/2023-V in it Eighth District Court.
In interviews, affected residents expressed their frustration.
“Interapas washes its hands, claiming that it is a State Government project and that it is not their responsibility. INAH gives lukewarm permits and does not act forcefully, while Seduvop justifies its lack of transparency by saying that the projects are constantly changing due to requests from neighbors, something that is not true, since they have never communicated with us,” said a resident.
The lack of a communication channel between Seduvop and the neighbors, as well as the omission of the Transparency Law by not delivering the projects when they are requested, are pointed out as obvious negligence. The neighbors highlight that there has never been an effective socialization of the works, and they suspect that the authorities have never had a clear and definitive project.
The recent floods in the area, the result of a lack of planning and workers not specialized in urban work, have exacerbated the discomfort of the neighbors.
“The situation in San Miguelito is terrible and very sad. The floods are a direct consequence of the lack of planning and the lack of transparency of the authorities with the people who pay for these works with their taxes,” concluded another resident.
The community of the San Miguelito neighborhood demands clear responses and forceful actions from the authorities to resolve this crisis, putting an end to the chain of negligence that seriously affects their quality of life.
Irregularities in works and labor exploitation
On the other hand, residents also reported problems of exploitation against construction workers, who work from early in the morning until 10:30 at night, including Saturdays and Sundays.
The neighbors reported that, in addition to the working conditions, the works have left unresolved problems, such as a water leak on 5 de Mayo Street near General Fierro, which was not fixed in a timely manner.
“I have been without water in my house for three weeks. We see that the workers are on the defensive, but we understand them because they are being exploited and there is no one to monitor the works.”
The community also expressed concern about the quality and speed with which the works were carried out in this last week. The work has been expedited, but without the necessary inspections and advice, which increases the fear that the result will be defective.
“We fear that if they place a concrete slab, this will worsen the situation of the streets, causing fractures, leaks and flooding in the future,” the neighbors warned.
Along these same lines, other concerns have arisen, such as where the rainwater is going to drain in the neighborhood, since the inhabitants claim that they covered the drainage manholes with cement.
“We also saw that the sidewalk lining could not withstand last night’s rain. Are these works of quality? How long will they really last?” they questioned.
Finally, the residents pointed out the absence of the INAH in the last hearing of the first amparo trial related to the works. For them, this demonstrates a lack of commitment on the part of the authorities to ensure that the works are carried out in accordance with the law and current regulations.
