Community victory: La Cuaba celebrates the cancellation of solid waste project
After an intense 160-day struggle, the residents of La Cuaba, in the municipality of Pedro Brand, celebrated President Luis Abinader’s decision to cancel the installation of a waste processing plant in their community. The news was received with jubilation by the inhabitants, who described this outcome as a historic triumph for the preservation of their environment.
For more than five months, the community stood firm in its position, holding constant demonstrations and mobilizations to express its frontal rejection of the construction of a solid waste station and landfill in the Los Aguacates area. The Government’s response has been valued positively, generating an atmosphere of relief and satisfaction among the families, including the children and young people who actively participated in the defense of their territory.
Protection of natural resources
The central axis of the neighborhood opposition lay in the protection of the local ecosystem. Residents had repeatedly warned about the environmental dangers that the project implied, highlighting critical risks such as:
- The potential contamination of the Matúa and Higüero rivers, vital water sources that feed the Isabela and Ozama river systems.
- The fear that the site would be transformed into a large-scale landfill, similar to the issues at Duquesa.
- The negative impact on agriculture and the ecotourism potential that defines the La Cuaba community.
- The degradation of the quality of life and public health of the citizens.
The Government’s response is an endorsement of the voice of our people. We are grateful that environmental health and the well-being of our families have been prioritized over a project that threatened to destroy our natural resources.
Representatives of the La Cuaba community
With this resolution, the residents of La Cuaba reaffirm their commitment to the conservation of their environment. The cancellation of the project represents, for the locals, the guarantee that the development of their community will remain linked to the protection of its natural wealth and the environmental sustainability of the entire Pedro Brand area.
