Indigenous reservations in Caldas denounce blockages of main roads

The communities of Cañamomo, Loma Prieta and San Lorenzo, in the area of indigenous reserves of the municipality of Riosucio, reported several landslides that have occurred due to heavy rains that have ended with the block of main roads in the Caldena sector.

According to the indigenous communities, mudslides keep them on constant alert because they fear being held incommunicado. They also reported that due to some work carried out in San Juan, the passage of machinery that could restore passage on blocked roads is prevented.

Several homes have also reported damage due to weather conditions. Relief agencies are expected to report in detail the events that have occurred due to the heavy rains that have occurred in recent hours in the coffee region.

On the other hand, public calamity was declared in Caldas and Antioquia due to the ravages of the weather, according to the authorities, approximately 300 families affected by the inclement rains.

In the last hours, the Mayor's Office of Caldas, Antioquia, declared public calamity after the collapses caused in the municipality by the heavy rains of recent days, which have left one person injured and 300 more belonging to 50 families injured.

This decision was reached by the municipal administration after an extraordinary municipal risk management committee assessed the effects on the villages of Maní del Cardal, Primavera, La Quiebra and Salinas, where the collapses occurred.

There, 16 other critical points have also been identified where more landslides, terrain instability and river overflows could occur.

Of the 300 people who have been affected, 25 families are in a municipal shelter, according to Caldas Mayor Mauricio Cano Carmona.

“There we are affected in the sectors of Salinas, La Quiebra, La Tolva and the El Cardal sector. We have an average of 38 homes affected in total in this area and we are at risk of some slopes that have also been affected.”

On the other hand, a sector of the Maní del Cardal village is blocked on its main road by a landslide of 300 cubic meters, affecting at least 13 families.

“It's been complex days. Fortunately, we have reacted immediately with all our institutional strength to prevent the situation from hitting our community. We thank those who have expressed solidarity with aid for the victims,” said the Mayor.

“We call on all the inhabitants of the municipality to alert them to the slightest situation of risk,” invited the local president, after specifying that the possible effects and risks will be evaluated through studies with engineers, drone monitoring and ground personnel, as well as field visits.

The declaration of public calamity will take effect from Saturday, April 2 and will be in force, for the time being, for two months. The idea is to carry out budget transfers and streamline recruitment processes to respond to the emergency through the figure of manifest urgency.

In the district of San José de Apartadó, which is part of the municipality of Apartadó, in Antioquia's Urabá, it was confirmed that at least twelve of its 32 villages are incommunicado due to damage to the roads.

According to Ruber García, social leader of the municipality, the growing ravine dragged the bank of a tertiary road that connected the towns of El Salto, Arenas Bajas, El Gas and Los Mandarinos. A horseshoe path also fell apart and left eight more paths incommunicado.

KEEP READING