The scandal over urbanization in San Andrés of the vice-president's husband continues: the government ordered the restitution of the beach

A few days ago it became known that the Attorney General's Office summoned Álvaro Rincón Muñoz, husband of the vice president, Marta Lucia Ramírez, to an affidavit to give information about his relationship with Guillermo León Acevedo, known as 'Phantom Memo'.

In addition, it was found that Hitos Urbanos, the company of which Álvaro Rincón is a partner, is building the Grand Sirenis, the most ambitious hotel complex in San Andrés. This includes Rincón, the Trust Alliance and the 'Gallardo clan', the most powerful family in San Andrés and a member of the Liberal Party.

Apparently, according to Caracol Radio, one of the first questions is that the buildings would have eleven floors; five floors above the POT rule governing that part of the island, in addition to the fact that former planning secretary Roberto Bush issued the license appealing to the principle of neutrality.

In addition, it is assured that the license was granted without the payments agreed to the department and, it intends to claim as a private beach a place that is public space.

It is noteworthy that the Grand Sirenis San Andrés project also offers a private beach in its advertising, when there is no concession that allows them to do so. At that time, the overseer Alvaro Archbold told Caracol Radio that passing the street, where the project is being built, there is a property that belongs to the department, but, the Gallardo clan appropriated it and the Colombian Maritime Directorate “DIMAR”, has not made the respective eviction. This space is where they announce that they would go to the private beach of the work.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that more than four years ago the Government of San Andrés ordered the restitution of Tonino's Marina, where the beach that the husband of Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez and her partners, say is their property. Under resolution 3384 on April 19, 2018, which states: “by means of which the restitution of a good for public use is ordered”.

In that, they emphasize that Dimar in 2014 assured that there is violation and illegal occupation of a good for public use, so that concession cannot be renewed, but Hitos Urbanos says that it owns the property of Tonino's Marina.

“The land where Tonino's Marina operates is located in a maritime beach area under the jurisdiction of Dimar,” said the General Maritime Directorate in 2014.

For its part, resolution 3384 on 19 April 2018 orders “to restore the property that it occupies with the construction of a pier and a path to access the pier in cement, occupying a beach area and maritime waters under the jurisdiction of Dimar located in the area of public good”.

It also held the Gallardo administratively responsible for the occupation of land and the unauthorized construction of public goods of the Nation that are under the jurisdiction of Dimar, for which they were punished with 10 minimum wages.

Not only is the resolution in 2018, the Government of San Andrés ordered the Gallardo family to restore in 30 days the beach that Hitos Urbanos sold to investors in the Grand Sirenis in 30 days. Despite the warning nothing happened, because it was not returned.

All these events are coupled with several interventions by the Vice President and Chancellor, Marta Lucía Ramírez, in which she expressed the need for the island of San Andrés to develop projects or production models beyond tourism in order to ensure its sustainability, for example, agriculture.

As part of the plan to rebuild Providencia in 100 days, following the devastation left by Hurricane Iota, Ramírez assured that to overcome the backwardness of the area, it is necessary to end corruption, involve the community in the investment of public resources, improve the conditions of fishermen, enhance tourism and develop production models that strengthen the economy and thus lead to development.

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