Call for suspension of Juan Diaz construction project
WHILE JUAN DIAZ and other areas are still reeling from the effects of floods allegedly worsened by uncontrolled development environmental lawyer Donaldo Sousa has filed a criminal complaint requesting the immediate suspension of the Metro Park project, in the village , for alleged involvement in damaging natural resources in a protected area.
The 94 hectares project is adjacent to the Juan Diaz River and Corredor Sur , and consists of several office buildings and parking lots and beaches. In total, 540,000 square meters of offices, are envisaged according to the complaint lodged by Sousa on Thursday September 17.
Sousa argues in its brief that Metro Park, “dangerously affects the surrounding communities and neighborhoods, which are prone to flooding, which is aggravated by the construction. “
The project has an environmental impact assessment (EIA) Category 2 -today converted approved by the National Environmental Authority (ANAM) in Ministry of Ambiente- 30 August 2011. Sousa said that the approved EIA contains false and innacurate information, and does not consider what the impacts will be generated by the project and its impact on water and river in Juan Diaz. He maintains that the developer built a “Grand Canal” in an area vulnerable to flooding, putting the community in “grave danger”.
It also alleges that the work would infringe various environmental and land management standards and international conventions to which the Republic of Panama is a signatory , including the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Ramsar Convention and the Convention for the Biodiversity Conservation and Protection of Wilderness Areas in Central America.
The complaint is directed at past and current officials of the Ministry of Environment, the Municipality of Panama and the Ministry of Housing (Miviot) and the authors of the EIA and the project developer, whom Sousa accused of allegedly committing environmental and land use planning crimes.
