From Informa-Tico, translated using Google Translate:

Aritculo original en Espanol

Deputies accused of destroying mangrove Spanish hotel

The deputies of the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC) and Lesvia Villalobos Patricia Romero accused the Spanish hotel chain RIU, which will be opened this weekend, having destroyed a mangrove and put into operation without water availability letter.

RIU, who jumped into the news field in November 2008 when one of its employees died for lack of medical care would be inaugurated on Friday in Matapalo beach in Punta Gorda in Sardinal, with the participation of President Oscar Arias.

The MPs said the PAC welcomed Sala IV appeal presented by the Association Fellowship against the Hotel RIU Guanacaste.

It will have 700 rooms on 7 floors, 60,000 m2 building. A piece the size of the hotel in question, just 200 meters from the beach, going against the norms of urban planning and the most basic protection of fragile ecosystems, said deputies.

Romero Villalobos and emphasized the destruction of mangrove in Playa Matapalo. "The hotel RIU disrespected the regulatory plan and MINAET Area Tempisque that certified the existence of mangroves in the area where it was built. These were razed by the hotel."

According to the certification and MINAET Tempisque Conservation Area, in the Polygon H 03 there is a mangrove with well determined coordinates Lambert said.

"The RIU Hotel was built in an area classified by the Regulatory Plan of Playa Matapalo as mangroves, with photographs in our hands, we can see the destruction of mangroves adjacent to the hotel, which filled with sand, this is a crime," said Deputy Villalobos.

This hotel is located on highly fragile natural heritage such as the mangrove environment, and also threatens the availability of water for surrounding communities. This is near the aquifer Sardinal With it the Sala IV ordered the construction freeze and prohibit any drilling in coastal aquifers of Playa Panama, Playa del Coco, Playa Hermosa and Ocotal, adjacent to Playa Matapalo, where you will find this hotel.

Muerte del trabajador Worker's death

The MPs recalled that "the construction of this hotel gave that speech, in November 2008 for the death of one of its workers, a Nicaraguan citizen, because of poor laborers who worked in this hotel."

"Public Health Minister had to intervene at once that there was a severe disease among project workers. He ordered the closure of the works. However, despite not having the project at that time a source of drinking water, authorized the resumption of the works, seriously jeopardizing the health of workers, "he added. They also noted that "the construction of the hotel showed a series of breaches in health and labor by firms subcontracted for construction, which among other things the workers were employed in terrible conditions of overcrowding".

"From the documentation received in our offices are not known to have made no hydrogeological study undertaken by state institutions (SENARA, AyA, Universities, MINAET) that determines the ability of the aquifer of Playa Matapalo and we know that the area has problems with regarding the availability of water, "complained Mrs Romero.

We demand the immediate intervention of the Environmental Administrative Tribunal and the Environmental Prosecutor, to investigate and feel the responsibilities and penalties apply the law requires, legislators pointed.