In people’s memory is embodied The image of a restless mayor who brought the pavement to the dusty streets And, in six periods in the municipal government, he managed to seal the growth and modernization of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Percy Fernández Áñez, who had demonstrated his capacity and development vision in the Public Works Committee, as Minister, as a senator and in other hierarchical positions, arrived at the municipal chair in 1990 -despite not having won the elections -, by a pact with Civic Unit Solidarity (UCS) and During the six periods he knew how to transform the city in the hands of planning.
This is highlighted by Agustín Zambrana, vice president of the Pro Santa Cruz Committee, who stressed that Percy’s management marked a transformation point not only for the Cruz Crupeña capital, but also as a national reference.
“From the tile, it led us to plan a Santa Cruz de la Sierra that is held today despite chaos and collapse. Now that legacy of Percy is still in its streets and in urban planning ”, affirmed.
The civic leader stressed that this legacy transcended the municipal planning throughout the country and was also a reference in the way of doing management for its proximity to the neighbors. “People see that (the authority) have to go down to the corners of each neighborhoodto the districts, and that is one of the greatest legacies, ”he said.
He stressed that today the capital of Santa Cruña supplies more than three million inhabitants, and although the services do not supply for population growth, the city is still supported thanks to the planning that Fernández promoted during six efforts. “Santa Cruz endures because it maintains that legacy”, said.
Drainage and pavement
His vision of development of the city began according to the most urgent needs, which for the 90s was the drainage to protect the neighborhoods. At that time the city had around 570,000 inhabitants and faced great needs that Percy knew how to understand and attend.
The former who benefited from the coating of the canals were the residents of Piraí, Roca and Coronado and November 4 avenues. At the end of that management, he managed to finish seven channels, which solved serious flood problems in neighborhoods, such as Urbarí, where the water rose up to a meter high in each rain, According to the Book Municipality of Cruz, by Bismarck Kreidler.
Then came the pavement in avenues and radials, which was his stamp in his passage through the commune, and that he planned from the hand of professionals who also developed a drainage master plan.
Managed to tender a first package of one million square meters of pavement for five years with a Execution of 200,000 meters annually, which was awarded to the United Companies (ECU) consortium, according to Kreidler in his book.
The works were possible with the implementation of collection policies with the recovery of tax autonomy. In their first management, $ 12 million were budgeted and a collection of $ 11 million was achieved.
In its second management 1991-1992, the city already reached 650,000 inhabitants and the pavement remained the main demand, so I continued with the plan to improve streets and avenues. At par He continued with the execution of the drainage plan.
His work also extended to improvements in lighting, with placement of 25,000 luminaires in different areas and 50 polyfunctional courts were built.
At that time, he highlighted the contract with the companies Alfa Cruz Associates and Minerva Concrec for the paving of 14 avenues of access to remote neighborhoods. Until 1993, when I was already in the third management, 84 kilometers of pavement were executed.
As part of his campaign for his third term, He arrived in the neighborhoods driving the yellow tractor And so he put his stamp with which the neighbors remember and associate the works that reach their neighborhoods.
His work allowed him to win the third consecutive mandate (1993-1994) with a resounding result of 58.60 percent of votes, which also gave him a majority in the municipal council.
In Kreidler’s book, Percy summarized his management hand in hand with planning and resources. “I was a strong mayor, but it was for absolute conviction And we consider the construction of the city, organize the municipal government as people wanted it. First the diagnosis, (then) how much is collected, because without that subject nothing is done, ”he said in the interview with the author.
After nine years, he returned to the City Hall after an agreement with the Unity and Progress Movement (MUP) of Óscar Vargas, where also promoted paving, covering 288,376 square meters in 2005.
In health, he promoted the construction of second level hospitals that are now in different districts.
In addition, he opted for the construction of educational modules and closed urban parks.
In its last two efforts, great road works, such as tunnels and bridges to Slope in the fourth ring and in the northern part of the city, which resolved the vehicular chaos that drowned a growing city.
Jorge Landívar, friend and collaborator of the former former mayor, always remembers it with the board in hand, explaining and planning each work. “He did so that we could all understand it. I remember it as the great builder of the city, He who once said: ‘It is necessary for the development of this people to do or build the thick work’. And he did so, he built the thick work that was the paving of the entire city. Thanks to that, Santa Cruz began its development. That is one of the great memories that we must keep the crossings of Percy, ”he said.
Landívar added that another thing he admired as his collaborator was the almost daily inauguration of educational modules. “I had never seen in a city so many modules of the magnitude and quality they had. Those schools and schools had nothing to envy the individuals. I would say that, in many cases, they were overcome. That was Percy Fernández. In addition to the educational modules, of course, of course, He built second level hospitals and other works, such as the Velorio Salons in the Districtssometimes we don’t remember that he was the great driver, ”he said.
Exconcejal Reymi Ferreira stressed that his greatest contribution from Fernández It was the planning it did to address the works and meet the needs of a developing city.
Governor Luis Fernando Camacho He highlighted his leadership. “Not only was he an urban planner and builder of the Santa Cruz de la Sierra del Futuro, he was a civic leader who loved our land and our development model,” he said.
