The Controversial Divisa Prison Construction has been Awarded to Riga Services SA. Panama for $181.1 Million.

The Ministry of Government awarded the contract for the construction of the controversial prison complex in Divisa, Herrera province, to the construction company Riga Services, SA.  The company submitted a bid of $181.1 million in the public tender for the development of this project, which has generated questions in recent months due to its location and cost. Meanwhile, the Los Canelos Social Infrastructure Consortium, the second competitor in the public bidding process, submitted a bid of $181.6 million.  Both proposals were above the reference price of $177 million set by the Ministry of Government for the tender.

According to the Evaluation Commission, Constructora Riga Services, SA “met all the requirements demanded by the tender specifications” and, in addition, submitted the lowest economic proposal.  The contract, under the global award modality, includes the study, design, construction, equipping and maintenance of the penitentiary center, which will be located in Los Canelos, district of Santa María, province of Herrera.  Riga Services, SA recently won the public tender to build a prison complex specializing in restitution and rehabilitation for $85.9 million, which will be located in Las Garzas, about 50 kilometers from the city center.

Questions.

The construction of this new prison has generated concern in the region. Local communities and authorities maintain that they are not opposed to its construction; however, they question the project’s location in Divisa. Therefore, they have asked the government to reconsider the chosen site, given the potential environmental and social consequences.  Residents have raised three main concerns. One is environmental, due to the site’s proximity to the Santa María River basin and a protected area. Another is citizen participation, given the need to comply with the mechanisms established in Law 6 of 2002. The third is the social impact, particularly due to the project’s proximity to schools and the potential consequences for nearby communities.

The Minister of the Interior, Dinoska Montalvo pictured above, has defended the project. She maintained that the construction is considered a matter of national security and that it would utilize between 20 and 25 hectares of land, without impacting the flood zone. She also indicated that the complex would be located away from the National Institute of Agriculture (INA).

The Details.

The new prison, which will be located in the central provinces, will have capacity for 3,000 inmates and about 450 guards.  The design includes separate pavilions according to security level. Minimum and medium security inmates will occupy dormitories for six people, while those considered high-risk will remain in individual cells.  The project also includes a school of about 1,300 square meters and workshops to train inmates in trades such as electricity, carpentry, welding, masonry, plumbing and sewing.  The complex will feature reinforced concrete walls up to six meters high, security fences, surveillance corridors, and anti-tunnel barriers. In addition, it will have a technological surveillance system with smart cameras.