Holy Week, a via crucis for environmental offenders

“Put the trash in its place, If you want to avoid a subpoena ", is the slogan of the campaign carried out by Corpoguajira together with the National Police as an appetizer to the Holy Week season., time chosen by Colombians and foreigners to get to know and enjoy our Guajira land.

The campaign is designed to raise awareness about the importance of learning to properly dispose of the solid waste that we permanently generate.. Its applicability will be developed prioritizing the most visited tourist places par excellence..

It should be noted that in the immediately previous period La Guajira received more than 12 thousand people for this religious season – tourism and that hotel occupancy exceeded 95%, figures that represent the excessive production of solid waste that during the short season forces the operator to design, a contingency plan for its collection and proper final disposal.

On this occasion Corpoguajira, requests the National Police for the exegetical application of the sanctions contained in the environmental summons (Law 1259/2008) to natural or legal persons who, by their action or omission, cause damage that impacts the environment, due to poor management of solid waste or improper disposal of debris.

The campaign started last Monday 08 April with previous awareness-raising sessions for tour operators, Manaure hotel owners and managers (El Pajáro and Mayapo), Riohacha (Robles Canal shrimp and young plants) and Dibulla (Rio Ancho and Palomino).

During the holy days, Corpoguajira and the Environmental Police, They will work together in Cabo de Vela, municipality of Uribia, tourist place par excellence, Palomino in Dibulla and the municipalities of the south of La Guajira with the mobile unit as a rolling strategy that allows, through play, to persuade to modify practices and behaviors that go against care, preservation and conservation of the environment.

It should be noted that the sanctions or fines included in the summons range between two and 20 current monthly minimum wages for each violation committed, and arrest for repeat offenders; For commercial establishments and businesses, the property is sealed and in case of recurrence, the suspension or cancellation of the license applies..

The World Bank report from September of the previous period, shows that in 2016 more than 240 million tons of plastic waste in the world, figure with high incidence of tourism; In the same report it is evident that in Latin American countries only waste is recycled. 4,5% of your garbage (the average of the planet is 13,5%); in La Guajira 90% of garbage is disposed of in the open, which clearly shows that countries with low monthly income apply precarious practices for solid waste management..