It was built, then it was demolished, now it is being built again. This has been the fate of the new Monimbó Fair Park, located in the vicinity of the new roundabout at the exit to the Meseta de Los Pueblos. The reasons are now unclear, but the population criticizes the waste of taxpayers’ money in this way.
In 2019, the Masaya mayor’s office made a loan to Banpro for an amount of 32 million córdobas, of which a portion was destined to buy this land. In 2020, the Council, dominated by Sandinismo, approved an amount of 3 million córdobas for the construction of the first stage of the Fair Park.
Then, in August 2022, the second stage was inaugurated, the amount of which, according to official media, was 8 million córdobas, at the entrance of which a huge structure was designed and built that contained two giant marimbas, two guitars, a drum and a bobbin as a needle at the entrance.
“Not a soul”
However, only on the day of its inauguration were some merchants close to the ruling party seen, who thanked the presidential couple for the work, which is paid for with taxes from the Masayas. There they danced folklore, placed crafts, there was music and the festivities did not stop. But after that day “no soul” appeared in that place.
Two months later, that same construction was demolished by the passage of the new four-lane highway that was built from the Las Flores roundabout, passing through the Monimbó Fair Park, the Meseta de los Pueblos up to the Guanacaste junction, while the giant structures were thrown to one side.
Now again the Sandinista mayor’s office of Masaya, rebuilds the entrance of this Fair Park. How much do they invest now? That is unknown, but the machines and men returned to the place to rebuild what was destroyed. Now, however, the space will be smaller and more uncomfortable for those who visit it if it manages to have visitors this time.
It smells like failure… again
A merchant from Masaya indicated that this place is doomed to fail again because there is no tourism in Nicaragua, in addition, sales of handicrafts are falling due to the country’s economic crisis.
«It is a very uncomfortable place for visitors, the few tourists prefer to visit the city center, the craft market and the municipal market or another place, so the merchants prefer to sell their products in other areas, we even sell in the Roberto Huembes market, in Managua,” he commented.
Related news: Disorder and garbage “swallow” streets near the Masaya market
A former official of the Masaya mayor’s office, under anonymity, regretted that resources are being spent on a work that is not used. In addition, clearly, it is noticeable that it is an improvised work, without studies or planning.
“Before building this park, it should have been foreseen that the new highway would pass through there, which I consider to have been in the project portfolio of the central government for a long time, and because the planning team of the Masaya Mayor’s Office did not work to warn it “, critical.
He also recalled that before there was another unsuccessful Fair Park, the one located 500 meters north of the San Jerónimo roundabout, a place that is currently used as a municipal waste warehouse. “That was another money that was thrown away, because I repeat there are no studies, no planning, taxpayers’ money is spent carelessly,” he accused.
By United Voices
