Complaints of pollution and flooding continue in the Aquiles Lanza settlement, located in Malvín Norte, Montevideo. Neighbors assure that the Plan Avanzar project, aimed at improving housing conditions, is stopped. Despite two failed bid attempts to start the works, no progress has been made on the promised work.
The Avanzar Plan is an initiative of the government of Luis Lacalle Pou, coordinated by the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning (MVOT), through the National Directorate of Social and Urban Integration (Dinisu), in coordination with the Congress of Mayors and the departmental governments. In principle, the idea of this ambitious plan is to work in more than 120 settlements throughout the country and provide housing solutions to more than 15,000 homes.
As this government comes to an end, many of these places, which do not offer the minimum conditions for decent living, still have the promise of a better life.
Unfulfilled promises?
Achilles Spearsettlement established between Hipólito Irigoyen, Dobrich, Mataojo and continuation Berro streets, in Malvin Northhouses some 400 families. In May 2022, the improvement in living conditions in the area was announced through the construction of streets and the provision of basic services such as sanitation and drinking water. However, residents denounce, these jobs are stalled.
Neighborhood Council 6 and local organizations have filed complaints about the lack of progress. “There are problems of environmental pollution, lead in the soil and rat infestations, which cause diseases.”said Nahuel Speranza, neighborhood councilor. The floods caused by a nearby ravine continue to affect the daily life of the community, where the lack of infrastructure aggravates the situation.
The failed government project
Since October 2023, various actors, such as Dinisu and the Municipality of Montevideo, have been trying to implement the Avanzar Plan. Florencia Arbeleche, head of Dinisu, acknowledged that Interventions are not progressing at the expected pace. The two calls for tenders for a technical team have failed, leaving the plan without clear direction to continue improvements.
The first call, closed in December 2023, was unsuccessful because the proposals did not comply with the financial or formal requirements. In a second attempt, a single consulting firm submitted a correct offer in financial terms, but subsequently resigned when it saw that its commercial structure did not meet the administrative requirements, preventing it from being hired by the National Development Corporation.
Despite the setbacks, Arbeleche announced the start of preliminary works on Dobrich Street. Without external consultants to guide the project, it has been decided to use internal resources. In early October, preparations began to begin construction, including the necessary relocation of 15 families affected by future construction.
The use of own resources has been called a “plan B” strategy. “The three institutions involved have tried to be transparent and careful with the neighbors’ expectations,” Arbeleche clarified. Although some actions have been initiated, the path to complete project execution remains uncertain.
Councilor Speranza and other local representatives have expressed their dissatisfaction with the unfulfilled promises. “What the neighbors are asking is that, if not for the Avanzar Plan, an alternative plan be sought,” he said. The impact of the rains continues to be devastating for families in the area, who see their property damaged again and again.
From the National Housing Agency, Verónica Dodera, representative of the Wide Frontindicated that interventions in settlements usually take up to seven years. The frustration among the inhabitants of Aquiles Lanza is due, in large part, to repeated promises without concrete actions. According to Dodera, “Everyone manages as best they can and sells what they want, but people and their expectations are in the way.”
