works for coastal protection from Cartagena, the most important project against climate change facing the nation todaystarted off with the left foot:
They face protests from Bocagrande tour operators and a serious complaint made by the city’s heritage committee, an entity attached to the city’s Institute of Heritage and Culture, IPCC, after the Ministry of Culture, the maximum authority in heritage and restoration of the city.
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A submerged wall of more than four centuries
The works must be at least 100 meters from the breakwater and 400 meters from the walls
In an interview with EL TIEMPO, Alfonso Cabrera, secretary of the Cartagena heritage technical committee, denounced that the start of works in front of the walls, on Santander Avenue, they do not have the approval of this committee and could affect the submerged breakwater: a submerged wall of more than four centuries built by the Spanish, with slave labor, in front of the city to prevent the entry of pirate ships and corsairs.
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“We are facing an archaeological issue. We are talking about a submerged wall that is working, and goes from the bastion of Santo Domingo to the pincers, in colonial times it measured 1,600 yards long, that is, about 1,300 linear meters, translated into the metric system. Precisely in front of the bastion of Santo Domingo, the works touch the submerged jetty and that was the call made by the Heritage technical committee”, explains Cabrera.
However, the works have already begun, precisely between the submerged breakwater and the walled cordon, on Santander Avenue, where the concession responsible for the coastal protection project erected more than 6 kilometers of rocks, which also prevent the view of walkers towards the sea.
“The builders were made some comments so that they can comply with the legal guidelines because it is the breakwater and the wall itself: the works have to be at least 100 meters from the breakwater and 400 meters from the walls,” added Cabrera.
The Ministry of Culture has not
still approved this intervention
The ministry has not yet approved this intervention. Today we will send you a letter with the observations we made to the project so that they can be corrected.
According to the official, this approval not only goes through the Heritage Technical Committee but also through the National Monuments Council of the Ministry of Culture.
But these works do not yet have the approval of either of these two entitiesconfirmed this newspaper.
“Today we have time to remedy all these deficiencies, this is a very large project that includes Bocagrande and El Cabrero; They are more than 7 kilometers and could be suspended until the project is presented, corrected, because today we are exposed to UNESCO taking away the declaration, and the situation is serious because these works would directly impact assets of heritage interest. Cabrera points out.
The rocks in front of Avenida Santander, which are already generating controversy, show the scope of the project.
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“This project has not been approved: there is a very large riprap that affects the historical view, and it is that it began precisely in this area, the most important historically speaking”
Alberto Escovar, heritage director of the Ministry of Culture assured EL TIEMPO that “The ministry has not yet approved this intervention. Today we will send you a letter with the observations we made to the project so that they can be corrected”.
John Montano
Correspondent of THE TIME
Cartagena
On Twitter: @PilotodeCometas
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