The walls of Cartagena would be affected by the lack of control of boats in the bay

In order to protect the walls of Cartagena from serious damage, lawyer Joaquín Torres imposed a legal remedy for the General Maritime Directorate (DIMAR) to set its eyes on this space. According to what he argues, the lack of control over the boats in the Bay is what has been generating the deterioration. The lawyer asked the authority to take charge of the situation and punish drivers who exceed speed in the area.

“Dimar has an obligation, as well as the traffic authorities, to control the speed of the boats, there is absolute negligence and neglect in controlling the situation, which is why these boats travel through the Bay as if they were competing. Ships that are docked in the bay often let go of their anchors and accidents have been recorded,” commented the expert on testimonies rescued by the FM.

Counsel imposed a legal request on Dimar to argue the considerations from that entity. “If Dimar does not respond to my legal request, in 12 days I would be suing them to be ordered by the Administrative Court of Bolívar to order it to fulfill its share, which is to carry out permanent patrols as traffic agents on an avenue,” he said to the same station. It was thanks to the community of the Manga neighborhood that they learned that some boats are speeding in the bay of Cartagena. It was thus decided to request answers from the General Maritime Directorate.

“Every speeding boat must be stopped, detained and drastic actions must be applied to it, those boats transit as if they were in competition. The walls are eroding that is taking place slowly and when we realize if this does not stop, a wall falls (...) The bases that support the piers of ships such as El Club de Pesca and El Club Náutico have suffered damage to the bases that support them and many of the owners of sailboats that are anchored at those docks generally suffer damage,” Torres emphasized.

In other statements made by Torres, collected by the newspaper El Universal, the lawyer said that what he is looking for, alongside the community, is for the walls not to be completely eroded. Ideally, he stressed, is that the bases that support the docks should no longer be damaged and to avoid damage to boats anchored at sea. “In the same way, we seek to avoid accidents,” he said.

“This request is motivated by the fact that, day and night, mainly motor boats and yachts travel at high speeds through the maritime areas already related to it, generating high waves and a lot of noise due to the increase in engine revolutions with the aforementioned effects. I want the collective rights to a healthy environment, cultural and historical heritage, the prevention of technically foreseeable disasters, public health and safety, and the use and enjoyment of public space to be protected,” said the lawyer.

Added to this is the controversy unleashed about a month ago when the preliminary works of the Coastal Protection macroproject began in Cartagena. Those works, according to the community, would be affecting the city's heritage. Citizens said that the installation of huge stones near the seashore was worrying.

Alfonso Cabrera, director of the Heritage Division of the Cartagena Institute of Heritage and Culture (IPCC), Alfonso Cabrera, who operates as secretary of the City's Technical Committee for Cultural Heritage, assured that it was necessary to suspend the preliminary works on Santander Avenue, “from the Monument of the Seas to the Breakwater of the Pincers because they would be attacking the Navy Submerged Breakwater.”

“The main issue is that an intervention is being made without due approval, by the Technical Cultural Committee of the IPCC, this is what we put the city on alert. It is our obligation as a Committee to say that we are in time for the corresponding measures to be taken not to affect the heritage; of the Technical Heritage Committee on something that has not yet been fully approved, the comments that had been made must be duly corrected,” said Alfonso Cabrera.

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