The councilors of Carrillo, Guanacaste approved by a unanimous vote the regulation plan in Playa Matapalo in favor of the RIU hotel, without even reading the document that they presented with lack of information.

This was denounced by Elpais.cr, Francisco Davila, Prosecutor of Guanacaste´s environmental organization, who attended last weeks session and asked for a digital copy of the document.

“They approved the regulation plan for RIU hotel without having any knowledge or studying the document,” Davila said.

“The copy of the regulatory plan approved by the Municipal Council is a draft full of deletions, changes, errors and missing information,” complained Davila, who was delivered a digital copy of the documentnat the end of the session.

On August 21st, the Municipal Council unanimously approved by the Coastal Regulatory Plan (Part) of the Canton of Carrillo, without knowing, or having in possession, the final version approved by the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA), the Costa Rican Institution of Tourism (ICT), and the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU).

“When I opened the CD I was surprised that there were whole pages blacked out, and numerous mistakes and corrected figures, which are obvious to those who read the document,” Davila criticized.”

“If they approved that it’s because nobody read it. I went to the Municipality of Monday morning to ask for explanations. No one could give me a reason for the fact. The mayor and officials, after reviewing and revising, asked me to come back in the afternoon, so that the person in charge of the maritime area could clarify the situation,” he said.

“I went back in the afternoon and the responsible of the office Maritime-Terrestrial area, called by phone the company EPYPSA contracted by BID-CATASTRO and they informed me effectively that they didn’t a complete and current copy of the project approved by SETENA. Then I received this document by email and I was handed a copy of the new document,” he added.

“Now they will need to go back to the Municipal Council with the new document for the approval, since what they approved before was the wrong project. Everything done is null. It’s amazing that these things happened all because of the urgency of promoting the RIU Hotel,” accused Davila.

Among the deficiencies encountered, by using Photoshop, they eliminated a creek called Huesera and fitted the name of another creek known as Quesera, and identified it as the first. However, there are several existing maps and certified documents were the creek Huesera exists that and diverted.

In addition, the new documents and reports don’t show the all the illegalities committed by officials of various state institutions and the local Government.

Source: Costa Rica North