Community wins visual pollution battle

A THREE YEAR community  battle against “visual pollution” ended triumphantly this week with the removal of advertising billboards from the Albrook Airport perimeter fence.

The company Titanium International won a 10 -year concession from the Martinelli administration on Jan. 31, 2012, to install the billboards.  Community objections were brushed aside.

Acting Civil Aviation Director Alfredo Fonseca Mora terminated the contract on Oct. 9, 2014.

In July 2015, the plenum of the Supreme Court denied an appeal of constitutional guarantees filed by Titanium International. In December, the third chamber of the court determined that the cancellation of the contract had been duly executed.

“This is a triumph for the community, after three years of struggle,” said Donaldo Sousa, a lawyer who filed the complaints against the billboards.

Civil Aviation Legal Director Enrique Obaldía said that the company was asked to remove the signs in January, but refused to do so. The authority then decided to remove them itself.

Members of the Association of Communities of the Canal Area were at the site Monday when the signs were being removed. The group has called them “violent” visual pollution. Also present were officials from the municipality of Panama.