The President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, resolved to extend the state of emergency for 30 days in the canton of Zaruma, province of El Oro.
In Executive Decree 341, signed on February 14, 2022, the president specified that the objective of the extension of the state of exception will be to address “the public calamity that has arisen and the inhabitants affected by it, as well as prevent similar calamities in the future”.
On December 16, during a visit to the canton, the president himself announced the declaration of 90 days after the sinkhole registered in the center of that town and which led to the collapse of several homes. Despite this, in the document the term of that first state of exception was 60 days.
It will take nine months to remedy the sinkhole in the center of Zaruma
The State of Exception in Zaruma will govern for 90 days in order to make a geophysical diagnosis of the situation and find the necessary solutions to restore tranquility and security to the Zaruma canton. Count on the government to combat illegal mining.
— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) December 17, 2021
There, the president, accompanied by several ministers, said that studies would be initiated to resolve the problem of illegal mining that has afflicted the population of Orense for several years and promised to allocate resources to find solutions.
The Government proposed a four-phase remediation plan in the sector of the sinkhole that occurred on December 15 in the center of Zaruma. The term of these works will be at least nine months at a cost of approximately $3.5 million, said Xavier Vera, deputy minister of Mines, last January.
The decree expanding the state of emergency provides for the mobilization of the necessary central and institutional Public Administration entities, especially the Armed Forces and the National Police. These entities will have the mission of coordinating activities in order to mitigate and prevent risks in the area.
In addition, the exercise of the right to inviolability of the home remains suspended for the purpose of carrying out necessary evacuations to protect the lives of the inhabitants, carrying out inspections in the affected area in those cases where the inhabitants have abandoned the building or property, or that authorities are denied access to those spaces.
The sinkholes in Zaruma have been known since 1993, according to sectional authorities
For now, free transit will continue to be limited in the Zaruma canton, mainly to prevent the presence of people in risk areas, determined by the National Risk and Emergency Management Service.
During the state of exception, the canton will remain a security zone, with the presence and surveillance of the public force. In the event that illegal mining activities are verified in the exclusion zone or other similar activity in any area of the canton, the authorities will be in charge of suspending the work and prosecuting it in the administrative and criminal spheres, if applicable.
The document also specifies that the emergency coordination be done through the national Emergency Operations Committee (COE) and that the Ministry of Economy and Finance provide sufficient resources to deal with the emergency situation, as well as the activities techniques and studies.
The same State portfolio was asked to identify the sources of financing for the remediation projects.
In these first 60 days of the state of emergency, operations have been carried out to intervene in homes, where mine openings were found. In addition, there was an attack on the home of a worker who works in the remediation area. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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