In search of making visible the environmental threats that plague the western region, and in particular the fight against the megaproject Essence –in Cabo Rojo–, the organization The Puerto Rico Bridge moved the seventh edition of its annual walk through the climate change to Mayagüez, where entities, individuals and environmental defenders met to demand that the State recognize and take action to address this crisis.
“We recognize that, in recent years, there has been a very large impact on the west coast, with proposals for development projects that threaten the safety of the residents of that area, especially when we take into account the coastal erosion that is affecting this side of the big island. So, it was very important for us, as a human rights and climate justice organization, to be able to draw attention to everything that is happening right now on the west coast.”commented Federico Cintron Moscosodirector of El Puente Puerto Rico.
The 7th Puerto Rico Walk against Climate Change It was held this Saturday in the Parque de los Próceres, in Mayagüez, with the attendance of more than 600 people. As part of the educational and community event, attendees enjoyed information tables on the management of various community organizations and Puerto Rican environmental groups, music and talks. This year, the walk reached the municipality’s public square.
Cintrón Moscoso highlighted that this edition had two new elements: the participation of the Collegiate Band of the Mayagüez University Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and a group of young people from different parts of the archipelago who led the walk, “because that is the population that will be affected for the longest time by climate change, and “We are recognizing the leadership they are taking in being able to talk about these issues.”.
Heaven Rios Camachoone of the leaders of the initiative El Manglar: Youth Network for Climate Justice –El Puente Puerto Rico collective that brings together young people–, highlighted the crucial role that new generations must assume in the search for solutions to climate change, while inviting youth in the archipelago to join the organization.
“We are a generation that was born in the crisis, and we have lived and grown in it. We are a generation that has a very fresh memory about (hurricanes) Irma and Mariaabout how heat has gotten worse, about public policies that have been ignored, such as the PMARCC (Plan for Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change), which right now, as they say, is on an indefinite pause,” he lamented.
“The call to the government is to recognize its inescapable responsibility to recognize that Puerto Rico is a territory particularly affected by climate change and that the State has a responsibility, not only in recognizing that threat, but in formulating viable and coherent public policy to address it,” added Ríos Camacho.
They join voices against Esencia
On the other hand, the walk included the participation of Defend Cabo Rojo!a coalition of community, scientific and cultural organizations from that municipality and the southwest area that opposes the construction of the Esencia megaproject, widely rejected due to the impact it is anticipated to have on the environment in that region.
Beatriz Llenín Figueroaone of the spokespersons for the organization, thanked El Puente Puerto Rico for the approach to join the walk. He added that, for more than a year, the coalition has visited residents of Red Cape to know their opinion on the proposed construction, and assured that the rejection is broad.
During a town meeting on October 18, more than 200 attendees agreed – unanimously – to support a proposal that the extensive territory that Esencia intends to take over be protected by law as a nature reserve and become a community forest in local hands.
“In our experience, the overwhelming majority of people in the neighborhoods and communities of Cabo Rojo have come out, in conversations with us, clearly in opposition to the project, because they understand the magnitude of the damage that this would entail.and in support of the basic premise that this should, in any case, be used to promote the local economy, local merchants and with community and local management,” he highlighted.