[News] They ask for investigation and sanctions: Criticism for the dialogue of seremis on WhatsApp that stopped the megaproject in Ñuñoa

[FNX Magokiler]

A little more than eight months after the session of the Environmental Evaluation Commission (Coeva) of the Metropolitan Region that rejected the initiative and stopped its construction, this week new information on the vote was revealed that revealed coordination between the seremis and the presidential delegate, Constanza Martínez. And it is that despite the fact that the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) had recommended to the instance to approve the real estate project, Coeva rejected the investment of US$300 million by the majority of its members. Specifically, messages were released that appear in a complaint before the Comptroller's Office, made on December 16, by the former metropolitan Social Development semi-seremi, Patricia Hidalgo, who accused that the reasons for her departure responded to reprisals against her for political issues and pressure from delegate Martínez. In his request, Hidalgo attached a copy of the conversation of a WhatsApp group, called the "Environmental Commission" created by Martínez's chief of staff, Miguel Concha, on April 4, 2022, which reveals the organization that led to the the result: 5 votes against and only 2 in favor of the project, which corresponded to the SEA and the housing seremi. Faced with this, from Fundamenta they indicated that they are studying filing legal actions and hope that this will help the Supreme Court legitimize the adherence to law of the initiative, whose construction began three years ago and for which US$100 million of the budget has already been disbursed. total. The president of the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC), Juan Armando Vicuña, affirmed that "this situation revealed by the press shows how a political ideology was used to stop a project that has complied with all the regulations required by law Without technical arguments, a group of newly appointed public officials delivered an unsubstantiated resolution that, among other things, left 1,500 workers unemployed."

 

 

Vicuña added that "I would like to believe that this sort of collusion by the SEREMIs is an isolated event. For this reason, it is important that it be investigated, and if warranted, punished."

In this line, experts affirm that events like this damage environmental institutions. This was stated by Pablo Badenier, former Minister of the Environment of the second government of Michelle Bachelet, commenting to El Mercurio that "arguments and debate must take place in the commission, for that there is the Evaluation Commission, and not in instances prior to via whatsapp". He added that there are "serious faults that are undermining the government's ability to make decisions in cases that are unapologetic and in which the correct decision is not the most po[CENSORED]r." While Gabriel Muñoz, a lawyer specializing in socio-environmental issues, told the same outlet that "what we have apparently seen in recent times regarding this project is a sum of undue pressure, lobbying and influence peddling, which are far from the minimum transparency and due process that is required. Proposals For Vicuña "it is essential to prosecute this type of decision in technical specialists, with knowledge of the issues being evaluated. It is the only way to avoid arbitrary decisions that weaken the institutional framework and lead us to corruption." Likewise, Muñoz stressed that it is necessary to "propose a transparent and technical process, which includes an active role for the community." It should be remembered that in mid-November, the SEA partially accepted the claim filed by Fundamenta, at the end of last year, which sought to revive Egaña Comunidad Sustentable, so the real estate company has the green light to restart construction. What yes, the determination of the environmental authority made it possible for opponents to go to the Environmental Court of Santiago within 30 business days.

 

https://www.emol.com/noticias/Economia/2022/12/23/1081969/polemica-whatsapp-proyecto-plaza-egana.html