Log #45, San Carlos Building Boom
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Updated December 25th
Just the Facts
Places where building is booming, for better or for worse.
It's a crime, according to Article 33, for extranjeros (that would be us) to become involved in Mexican politics. Therefore, no social comments, just reporting the facts....
Tetakawi's new road and development's gate.
The following is a rough translation, and paraphrase, of a story Fernando Village, reporter for the First Page, a local paper, wrote:
"We congratulate the Prouraduría Federal Protection al Environment, PROFEPA, who decided at last to fine the tourist businessmen that destroyed the hill Tetakawi.
Although the violation to the General Law of Protection al Environment is evident, PROFEPA officials didn't say what the punishment would be and if the developer will be obliged to repair the damage.
The shameful thing of the matter is that Enrique Pomp, former de facto secretary of Tourism in Sonora, and supposed lover of the sustainable developments is the owner or prestanombre, the business that destroyed plants and modified the hill in a notorious way.
We regret that scores of those ecological crimes exist in San Carlos, Guaymas and Junction, and the authorities do nothing. But in the case of Enrique Pomp, the Yaqui Indians should also punish him for his desire to destroy their sacred places.
In addition, he should be named an enemy of humanity and the State of Sonora because of the destruction of the best-known emblem of our beloved town.
What photo do they show to promote Sonora on a worldwide basis? The Hill Tetakawi."
When Stan and I rode our bikes around Tetakawi to the viewpoint above Marina Real, work was still proceding on the road and the entrance gate to the development.
Another road torn into Tetakawi's north side.
And in other news...
La Voz de Puerto reported on Novemver 25, 2006, in a rough translation copied from vivasancarlos.com:
"For presumed environmental crimes, the industrialist Catalina Ordaz de Evatt was arrested by agents of the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) according to arrest warrant number 183/06; she was incarcerated yesterday in the Centro de Rehabilitacíon Social (Cereso) of Guaymas.
La Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (Profepa) denounced the well-known investor because her irresponsibility in clearing 224 hectares where she would build one of her several tourist developments in San Carlos.
She destroyed endemic flora of the region; listing mesquites, ironwood trees and ancient sahuaros. This has caused ecological damage which is irreversible, because several varieties of cactus took hundreds of years to reach their full size.
Catalina Ordaz Aguiar, owner of the company "Snowbird Realty", that sells, rents, and offers maintenance services to properties of tourists in Nuevo Guaymas, was apprehended at her residence in the Sector El Crestón, by agents of the Federal Agency of Investigaciones (AFI)(FBI), Thursday afternoon.
After appearing before the Agency of the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), she was taken to the Cereso, where she will continue to be incarcerated until the investigation process against her by the environmental agency concludes. According to sources, the magnitude of the damage caused and the gravity (severity) of the crime she is accused of - she would not be allowed bail."
Development outside of the Marina Real breakwall looking toward
Catch 22 (Algadonas) Beach, behind which is Ms.Ordaz' development.
Okay, perhaps one little comment....
The Mexican government doesn't have the resources to enforce its environmental laws - we saw it in the Sea with fishing violations, now we're seeing it on land. Unfortunately, moneyed investors are taking advantage and supporting the violators.
