In its preventive function, the Attorney General’s Office questioned the mayor of Riohacha, José Ramiro Bermúdez, for not starting the provision of food and school transportation services in 2022, after the return to classes of more than 50,000 students.
During a field visit carried out on February 7, officials from the control body confirmed that Both programs were not started in the different educational establishments of Riohacha.
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Children in class, but dining rooms closed
“It was found that the school canteens are closed and the students do not receive the food service, in the same way it was possible to verify that the school transport service did not start either,” said the Regional Attorney of La Guajira Alfredo Moisés Ropain, in the letter sent.
The Public Ministry requested, for the second time, a copy of the contracts made by the District administration and the operators of the School Feeding Plan service, both for the urban and rural areas.
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It also required the list of the operators that will provide the school dining service to the ethno-educational institutions and cedes with their respective contacts.
“We are concerned as the Public Ministry that it has not been complied with, as expected,” said the Attorney General.
Riohacha had already activated a preventive monitoring action since last January 26, so that the start of the 2022 school year could be fulfilled and guarantee these rights to children who attend school.
On that occasion, the Attorney General’s Office required the mayor and his Secretary of Education, Jesús David Herrera, to provide a detailed and urgent report, in which the operator that will provide the school feeding service and his legal representative would be announced.
“We have been involved in this activity for more than 15 days, verifying and requesting information, because we do not co-manage nor are we responsible for spending, we verify that the territorial entity complies with its legal and constitutional obligation to start it within the legal term so that these services are presented to the different students”, pointed out the Attorney General.
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Finally, he indicated that he hopes this situation will be corrected as soon as possible, because otherwise it will be up to him to close the preventive activity and give him a disciplinary transfer, so that each public servant responds for the responsibilities that he assists.
He stressed that despite the fact that the Public Ministry prioritized surveillance in Riohacha, verification is carried out in the rest of the department.
El Tiempo tried to establish contact with the Riohacha mayor’s office to find out its position on the issue, without being able to obtain any response.
Eliana Mejia Ospino
Special for Weather
Riohacha
