San Vicente Los Cimientos is a community located in the municipality of Siquinalá, Escuintla. The only way in or out is via a bridge that It was built with funds from the community itself, who managed to collect Q220 thousand.
However, it was not made for the passage of freight transport or buses, so they fear that it will be damaged and they will be cut off.
In addition to the passage of this transport, the community members are concerned because constantly lahars descend from the Fuego volcano and the Ceniza river overflows with the rains.
In the surroundings of the community there are villages and hamlets that also have the same bridge as their only road, so it is estimated that, if the structure is destroyed, around 45,000 people could be left incommunicado.
Antonio Baten, president of the community association, points out that in 2020 the municipal mayor of Siquinalá, Edgar Álvarez, and the deputy of Vamos, Sergio Arana, promised them that they would manage a new bridge, but to date no one has been contemplated. structure.
“The truth is that the risk we are experiencing is high. The pass is passable, but it is an emergency, then esa road is not suitable for trucks and vans, and it is affecting the road”, explained Baten, who also stated that they urgently need to dredging the river.
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According to a request for information required by Deputy Carlos Barreda to the Departmental Government of Escuintla, no project of this type has been established on the Ceniza River, since “it is the responsibility of the municipalities.”
The Departmental Governor of Escuintla, Luis Chen, did not show up at a meeting in the Legislative this Wednesday, since he claimed to have a meeting with Arana, which took place in the southern department.
In relation to the issue, the mayor of Siquinalá, Édgar Álvarez, assured that for the construction of such a bridge municipal funds are insufficientfor which it must be the central government that absorbs it.
He mentioned that the issue was discussed in several meetings and even a verbal request was made to the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) to prioritize studies of the bridge.
Congressman Arana was questioned about the matter, after being alluded to in the meeting and said that at the time they began to make arrangements for the construction and a company was sought that could carry out the studies for free, but he stated that since the municipality de Siquinalá also joined the project, he disregarded what happened to the work.
risk area
César Micheo, delegate of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred), explained that since the eruption of the Fuego volcano in 2018, several ravines have been declared high risk and one of them is where the Ceniza River crosses.
This type of declaration represents that there can be no “public or private investment”Micheo explained.
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The authorities of the Conred, the Departmental Government, the Ministry of Communications and the Siquinalá commune, as well as community members, will be summoned again to continue the discussion of the issue.
