No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaAlleged Illegal Logging Permits Granted After Meeting Costa Rican President

Alleged Illegal Logging Permits Granted After Meeting Costa Rican President

Frente Amplio deputy Ariel Robles demanded explanations from the government after businessman Allan Pacheco Dent obtained permits for an apparently illegal logging project just three days after meeting with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves. The logging permit was granted on a farm in Gandoca-Manzanillo, land that is considered state patrimony.

“Mr. President, could you explain to us how Allan Pacheco Dent was granted irregular logging permits—now under scrutiny by the Attorney General’s Office—on April 12, 2024, less than three days after his meeting at the Presidential House?” Robles asked.

The Congressman believes that Franz Tattenbach, Minister of Environment, should appear before the Legislative Assembly to address the many questions lawmakers have about the Gandoca-Manzanillo case. He also called on President Chaves to appear before the Environmental Commission of Congress, where the issue is under investigation.

Pacheco Dent made several visits to the Presidential House in January, February, and April of this year. These visits were recorded on January 17, February 6 and 19, and April 9 and 24, according to the official documents. April proved to be a key month, as it was when Pacheco Dent was granted permits to cut down trees on his farm—permits that are now being investigated.

Specifically, on April 12, the La Amistad-Caribe Conservation Area, Limón-Talamanca subregional office of the System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), authorized logging and forest harvesting on agricultural land without forest under the forest inventory modality. The permit was granted for six months.

Permission to cut down trees was given in an area that, according to court documents, is part of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. The Environmental Prosecutor’s Office believes there was an attempt to change the land use of forest and wetland areas, allegedly to develop urban infrastructure.

Congressman Robles has repeatedly questioned the actions of SINAC and MINAE officials in this case. He has also strongly defended the need to protect the refuge and clarify whether there were any irregularities in the issuance of the permits.

Popular Articles

Nicaragua Condemns U.S. Migrant Policy Under Trump as Crimes Against Humanity

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on Wednesday accused U.S. President Donald Trump of committing "horrendous crimes" against migrants by deporting them, separating families, and having...

Costa Rica Expat Guide to Ticks and How to Avoid Them

Of the many strange and interesting species that many hope to encounter during their time in Costa Rica, arthropods are generally lower on the...

Tourism and Sport Fishing Ignored in Costa Rica’s Blue Economy Roadmap

Last Friday, April 25, the official presentation of the 2025–2030 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Plan took much of Costa Rica’s coastal fishing sector...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait

Latest Articles