No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessPresident voices support for extending moratorium on maritime zone evictions

President voices support for extending moratorium on maritime zone evictions

Residents along the beaches of Puerto Viejo and other parts of the southern Caribbean can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now. President Luis Guillermo Solís announced support for an extension of a moratorium on a law that would displace coastal residents in the southern Caribbean and other parts of the country, during his trip to the province of Limón on Saturday.

“There is talk about creating a special regime for the Caribbean Zone, but it’s not possible to have this discussion under the threat of displacement for the populations who have been in this region since ancestral times. This government is not going to take arbitrary actions,” Solís said over the weekend in Puerto Viejo.

According to the Maritime Zone Law, the 50 meters from high tide mark is publicly zoned, meaning it belongs to municipalities. The remaining 150 meters is completely restricted, and any type of construction is prohibited. Families who already live within the maritime zone must abide by a municipal zoning plan, obtain a municipal concession and pay a monthly fee. The Comptroller General’s Office previously ordered municipalities to destroy structures found to be in violation of the Maritime Zone Law.

In September 2012, lawmakers passed a bill that established a 24-month moratorium on the land evictions. Solís said that while he supports the extension of the moratorium he did not specify for how long. The president said he hopes the Environment Ministry, lawmakers representing Limón, and coastal community members could come together to establish a “realistic” time frame. The Legislative Assembly would have to approve another bill extending the moratorium.

Solís highlighted that he envisioned the moratorium extending to other coastal communities in Costa Rica. While much of the attention regarding the Maritime Zone Law has focused on the inhabitants of the Caribbean coast, residents on the Pacific coast also are affected. A peaceful protest last March was violently quashed when anti-riot police officers used tear gas to remove dozens of demonstrators protesting in support of the Coastal Community Land Bill from the Inter-American Highway in Chomes, Puntarenas.

A bill that would create an “Urban Coastal Zone” that would halt the land evictions was approved by lawmakers in a first round of voting in March but has since stalled in the Assembly. The bill still requires a second approval, President Solís’ signature and eventual publication in the official government newspaper, La Gaceta, before becoming law.

Trending Now

A Closer Look at the Elusive Purple Gallinule in Costa Rica

Quick! Think of a purple bird! It’s a little difficult, right? I searched my brain and came up with a purple martin. A small...

Why I Choose Real Life in Costa Rica Over the AI Hype

When it comes to AI, call me OG. Old school. I sometimes wish I could go back to a time before it existed. Artificial...

Costa Rica Launches Traceability System to Tackle Illegal Logging

Costa Rica is advancing with the creation of a National Forest Traceability System, a key tool to guarantee the legality and sustainability of timber...

Costa Rica’s Poás Volcano Park Reopening to Tourists With Safety Measures

The Poás Volcano National Park will reopen its doors to tourism starting July 30, after  scientific entities reported a decrease in volcanic activity. This was...

Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Drowning in Costa Rica Ruled Accidental

The death of American actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner has been confirmed as accidental drowning, according to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ). Warner, 54, was...

Panama Removed from EU High-Risk List, but Tax Haven Status Remains

The film The Laundromat, starring Meryl Streep, damaged Panama's reputation by drawing inspiration from a real-life story: the global scandal that erupted a decade...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica