Upset with the actions of the Solís Rivera administration (2014-2018), the park rangers of the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) make a call to take to the streets this Monday.
What do they demand? According to the Union of Workers of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (SITRAMINAE), the government’s neglect results in the detriment of conservation areas with an accelerated deterioration in ecosystems.
The current government has been indifferent and inoperative before the proposals and solutions that we have taken to the different negotiating tables. As an organization we have participated, in order to prevent the materialization of the destruction of our natural resources,”
said Sitraminae, in a manifesto sent to the press on Friday.
Given this, the MINAE – through a press conference – denied it all and said that more budget is required to better serve the conservation areas.
Patricia Madrigal, Deputy Minister of Environment, said the investment in infrastructure to improve conditions for tourists and officials amounts to 19 billion colones in the last four years. From that point of view, SINAC acknowledged that despite the money invested there are missing improvements.
One of the main challenges is to create and rehabilitate infrastructure in the protected wild areas. Not only in the improvement of conditions for tourists, but also for our officials. Although we had the highest investment in infrastructure in recent years, we agree that they can be improved. We are talking about 127 protected areas in the country, which cover more than 25% of the national territory. We have 91 operational positions, but the rest of the protected areas are protected from the regional offices. There is a shortage of offices and a lack of staff,”
said Mario Coto, director of Sinac.
The demonstration proposed by Sitraminae for Monday aims to show discontent with the management of the government of Luis Guillermo Solís in environmental matters.
Also, make a call to the incoming government, so that the same mistakes are not made in the management for the conservation of natural resources and cause greater damage than those already existing,”
said the union.
The invitation for the park rangers is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. It will start in the national park and go to the central building of MINAE in San José. Later, they will go to SINAC’s building in Barrio Tournón.