Neighbors on vigil for the removal of tiles; professional associations question the municipal measure

A group of residents of the historic center held a protest nonviolent in rejection of the removal of tiles from their streets. The neighborhood mobilization replaced the tiles removed by the Mayor’s Office this Friday afternoon. Other people joined, who also disagreed.

Rubén García, one of the neighbors close to René Moreno Street, where the Municipality has begun to remove the tiles, pointed out that they organized spontaneously“before the outrage of the historical heritage of the city”.

The group put the tiles back on the street and ask to meet with the mayor to discuss with your technical team why the tiles they must stay in place.

Local citizens have decided premain vigilant to prevent the Mayor’s Office from retaking the jobs in the area. García indicated that another group of people is also doing the same on Bolívar Street, the other front where work has begun.

The residents of the historic center have a team of professionals, including engineers and architects, who support them and are willing to technically argue the position of rejection to the change of tiles for flexible pavement. The work promoted by the mayor implies an expense of Bs 30 million for the Municipality.

The Municipality has not made an official statement. However, on the social networks of the Public Works Secretariat, a spot was uploaded in which three residents of the city center -one from Florida Street, another from Callejas and another from Bolívar- thank you for the modernization that the change of tiles brings on pavement, while in the background sounds: “Uncle Jhonny, uncle Jhonny”, the mayor’s campaign music.

Public Works posted a spot in which neighbors support the change of tiles

The College of Architects It was pronounced publicly this week, through a statement, in which they point out the need for a diagnosis prior to the works that the Municipality began. He mentions that a technical survey of the state of public service networks, storm drainage, sanitary sewer, home gas and other networks. The same refers to the aerial wiring of electrical, telephony and data networks and the consideration of being buried to avoid, in the future, breaking the pavement.

The statement refers to the urban mobility, vehicular traffic, parking lots and public transportation, added to the “overflow of trade unions in the markets and street vendors on public sidewalks.” Likewise, the institution draws attention to the comprehensive urban redesign of roads and problems, that qualifies as background, such as the width of sidewalks, permanent and temporary parking lots, and others.

Statement from the College of Architects

“The pavement must be a resulting from all these considerations and not a biased intervention and isolated from a complex problem”, reflects its statement, which also suggests improvement in public lighting, consolidation and revitalization of green areas, provision of street furniture and signage.

Finally, it offers its collaboration and technical contribution “so that all these and other issues are approached in a serious, technical and transversal way with the different actors involved in this problem.

For its part, the Santa Cruz Departmental Society of Engineers of Bolivia (SIB) held a meeting this Friday to discuss the issue. It is known that the next week they will be issuing a statement about.

However, engineer Rolando Schrupp published on his social networks that the College of Civil Engineers formally requested the Secretary of Public Works to stop tile removal works.

EL DEBER requested the communication unit of that municipal secretariat, information about the work you do and upcoming actions, given the citizen protest. The communicator agreed to consult with those responsible, but there was no subsequent response.