For many years, the residents of the Río Abajo community, in Pueblo Nuevo, Estelí, have experienced severe difficulties in moving towards the urban area, to such an extent that to carry out their errands they had to start traveling to Condega, instead of going to the urban area of your municipality, which is closest.
Said intermunicipal highway was destroyed since Hurricane Mitch (1998), due to the force of the river in that area, and affects communities such as: Río Abajo, Santa Teresa, Cuje, Mapachines and El Mojón. More than 20 years have passed and far from improving, the situation worsens, since the municipal authorities have not shown interest in addressing the problem and every time there is a copious winter, the river damages more parts of the road.
In addition, the situation directly affects at least four productive private properties bordering the river. These lands have been used by residents and students due to the lack of roads, crossing there to reach the urban area of Pueblo Nuevo, however, due to the damage suffered in the winter of last year, there was no way through those points either. , thus being unable to travel by vehicle or on foot.
Community unites against municipal negligence
Given the situation, the community members and producers in the area have made constant efforts before the municipal mayor’s office, however, the years go by and they receive no response, while the problem worsens. Therefore, they joined efforts to repair one of the most critical points and thus restore the passage of the population towards the urban area.
Resident Luis Heberto Morales and treasurer Jairo Videa reported that community members, producers, and family members abroad managed to raise almost $1,800 to hire machinery and carry out part of the necessary repairs. However, the work that is required is greater to solve the problem definitively.
The citizens also reported that a letter has already been sent to the Ministry of Transport Infrastructure (MTI) as a community board, but they have not yet received a response, so the efforts will continue.
large economic losses
This problem directly affects students, producers, workers and residents, to go to fulfill their commitments, likewise, it prevents the timely mobilization of patients in any emergency situation and makes it considerably difficult for producers to prepare the land and market the production.
Those directly affected are 348 families, 259 houses, 1,392 inhabitants and four farms where basic grains, vegetables and tobacco are produced.
“Regarding the economic impact, when taking into account the commercialization of basic grains, vegetables, and tobacco, a higher operational cost of transportation is generated, reducing 30% of profits. As for the affected properties, the land that has been taken in that area is estimated at about 80 thousand dollars,” said one of the producers.
Other community efforts
Not receiving support from the municipality, the inhabitants formed a community board, through which they organize themselves to carry out certain works.
“We have worked on the rehabilitation or maintenance of the suspension bridge, we repaired patches of the road that goes to the El Mojón community (journey to Condega), now we are seeing how we rehabilitate this section of road that we have here (destroyed since Mitch) that remains one kilometer from the municipality of Pueblo Nuevo,” said treasurer Jairo Videa.
Related news: Residents of El Castillo demand that the municipality repair the roads in the area
“We took the opportunity to request a financial contribution from the population to pay for the machine because it charges us $120 an hour. Right now we have 15 hours, but that does not complete the work we have to do. For now, we are going to stick to the budget that we managed to raise. The idea is to make a partial diversion of the river, to be able to make a platform and so that it can be transited provisionally, “added the community member.
For: United Voices
