In the framework of the 30th anniversary of People’s Forest inAttachedAfter the victory for the defense of the land against mining exploitation attempts in 1996, its leadership called this Saturday to continue the fight for the protection of Puerto Rico’s natural resources.
For Alexis Massol Gonzálezfounder of Village House –community organization that protects natural and cultural resources–, the creation of the Bosque del Pueblo “opened the doors” to increase the number of protected areas that, 30 years ago, did not even reach 5%.
“We have managed to increase protected areas by 3% before the People’s Forest and, after the People’s Forest, we have 17% of protected areas of the ‘Mother Island’. We had to confront an entire system that approved of mining in order to defeat it, and then proposing a forest was not easy, because the Department of Natural Resources (and Environmental) had not designated a new forest unit for 50 years,” Massol González recalled.
His son and executive director of Casa Pueblo, Arturo Massol Deyárecognized, for his part, that the environmental fight, in the context of global warmingcontinues to be necessary to “make a territorial defense” that protects basic resources such as water and mitigate the effects of atmospheric events.
“An island like us should aspire to have at least 30% of its forest cover to have sustainability of water and other services. The life of the country is passing away in terms of that green infrastructure. We are going to face times of greater drought, and forests are sponges that retain water and maintain flows in rivers, even when it is not raining. They are part of that green infrastructure that provides many services to our society,” said Massol Deyá, highlighting that, in the forest, they will contribute to the feat through reforestation efforts of 500 trees in commemoration of the anniversary.
Both leaders highlighted that the insertion of youth in the defense of natural resources is necessary to continue the path of struggle already outlined.
“I think we are on the threshold of a new revolution of love for Puerto Rico. I am very happy with the movement in Puerto Rico to defend the mountains, the coasts and the beaches. In every corner of Puerto Rico, there is a great, committed and patriotic movement”expressed Massol González.
“We will continue to be vigilant of this area and in love with these mountain forests, always vigilant because greed and violence against nature seems to be increasing in these times, so We are going to have to strengthen those lines of appreciation of the forest and make this place also serve as a reference for other communities. of the importance of proposing and assuming responsibility for the management of natural areas like these,” said Massol Deyá.
In addition to the environmental call, Massol González, warned – within the month that commemorates the International Women’s Day– to recognize the female presence in the country’s socio-environmental struggle.
“At Casa Pueblo, there was a woman, who is my partner (Faustina) ‘Tinti’ (Deyá Díaz), who passed awaywhich in a certain sense was made invisible within the neoliberal patriarchal colonial system; So, I think it is also time to recognize Puerto Rican women as protagonists of the changes in this country,” she added.