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28 July 2009 | Interviews | Human rights
A matter of richness
Touristic projects endanger Salvadorian Bay
length: 1:40 minutes
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The Jiquilisco Bay and its rich biodiversity are endangered by the imminent installation of touristic megaprojects, the residents of this Salvadorian region denounced. “It is a small lung that El Salvador still has”, local leader Manuel Calderon told Real World Radio. He estimated that there are 29 communities in this area of Bajo Lempa that will be damaged by the “irrational exploitation” that will be carried out by national and foreign capitals of the tourism business.
The Jiquilisco Bay has a great ecologic diversity. It has been declared a Ramsar Site and a Reserve of the Biosphere. It hosts one of the country’s largest forestry areas and nearly 1,500 species live in it.
“Unfortunately, the greed of transnational corporations and big national businessmen has turned its look to our territory, with the intention of exploiting the Jiquilisco Bay through the implementation of this tourism mega project”, the residents say in a recent communique.
The Salvadorian organizations claim that this kind of mega projects take place within the free trade agreements signed by the Salvadorian government and the MesoAmerica project, formerly known as Plan Puebla Panama. The information received by the residents of Jiquilisco Bay about these projects is very vague and there is no answer from the government spokespersons.
