No explanation for diverted Casco Viejo social housing funds

 By David Young

A UNESCO report calling for a halt to the third stage of the Cinta Costera to save Casco Viejo from delisting as a World Heritage site was downplayed by government officials on Tuesday, May 3.

The report was  carried  first in Newsroom on Sunday, May 1 http://www.newsroompanama.com/panama/2709-unesco-report-calls-for-suspension-of-cinta-costera-expansion.html

and covered the deep concerns of the UN body about deteriorating conditions in the historic area, and the opinion that after exhaustive research and study, it was believed that to construct the highway around, or through Casco Viejo would be destructive.

The government expressed  another viewpoint with  Public Works Minister, Federico Suarez telling La Prensa that what is being done is “beneficial,”   and he was confident  “that we will reach an agreement with UNESCO. "Communication between the Panamanian Government and UN organization have been smooth.” He said.  UNESCO does not know what is happening here with the groups that have interests in the Old Town," said Suarez. {jathumbnail off}

Hildegard Vásquez, Calicanto Foundation director, said it was UNESCO that recognized that institutions like the Ministry of Public Works and nthe National Institute of Culture ( INAC) do not meet the standards for development within the sector. "I find unfortunate the minister's statements, unfortunate."

A careful reading of the 10 page summary provided by UNESCO giving details of  its extensive study of the problem, shows that the organization did its own on-the-spot investigation, and it requires little imagination to understand how the visiting group were affected by the events at the “reconstruction” of the Central Hotel, and the flouting of height restrictions by the neighboring Independencia project, which residents had been fighting and calling for regulatory action.

The UNECO report also  said: “There have been cases of aggressive  interventions and alterations  resulting in irreversible damage to the site’s integrity  and authenticity.” 

A simple example would be a building that totally collapsed during re modeling, with a brand new structure erected to ape local historic designs and marketed as part of Casco Viejo.

UNESCO also drew attention to disappearing funds, “previously allocated by the IDB (Inter American Development Bank) for social housing  have been re-routed to other projects, further compounding the poor social conditions that exist at the site.”

The investigating group ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) did its own evaluation  of a document submitted by the Government, assessing  risks, vulnerabilities,  analyzing  the problem  from the  state of conservation to  the assessment  of existing  legislative and regulatory frameworks, all of which confirmed  previous  monitoring  and expert missions and decisions of the World Heritage Committee.

But  from the paperwork  came little. Says UNESCO: “Notwithstanding  the detailed assessment , the proposals for action s are limited and there is no indication  regarding timelines, sources of funding, or how corrective  measures and actions will be implemented … criteria and methods for intervention at historic buildings are lacking.”

Meanwhile, across the bay from the old city, the government  has rushed to demolish the former U.S. embassy on Avenida Balboa,  in spite of calls for its designation as a cultureal museum, and erect a multi-million dollar 70 story tower with a timeline or completion in two years.

The Unesco report which calls for stopping the construction of phase 3 of the coastal strip alleges that the funds allocated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the construction of social housing are being used to other purposes.

The IDB's contribution covered by UNESCO, is $ 2.5 million, and is intended to generate "a mixed residential fabric and keep the current low-income residents are expelled due to natural increase in property prices."

La Prensa  contactedthe public relations office of the Ministry of Housing and Land Management (Miviot) for their version of the disappearing funds  but were told  that the minister Carlos Dubois would attend to it " manana," giving the spin merchants time to prepare an answer.

Members of the Neighborhood Association and Friends of Casco Antiguo were more prepared. One of its leaders, Patrizia Pinzon, said that in the area there are four housing complexes, remain uninhabited because the authorities have not completed their construction.

"They are homes that the previous administration built for people of the community to live in that this administration has left unfinished . It is a loss for the area, plus a loss of investment, " said the representative of QALY.

Another  group has lobbied for the completion of building the houses and for the building of  more. But no one gives answers, although the National Police and the San Felipe Corregedoria agree that the homes would help lower crime in the area.