A computer. That is
what the US citizen Paul Lambert, representative of the Tortuga
Landing company offered the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE)
as compensation for having built a 105 metre long and 4 metres wide
road and for having eliminated natural regeneration in a forest
in the terrestrial maritime area of Quepos, a Central Pacific locality.
This occurred during a “conciliation” hearing which took place on
17 February at the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (file No.
184-05-3-TAA).
Previously, and unaware
of the road and the felling, on 16 May 2005, the Costa Rican Federation
for the Conservation of the Environment (Federación Costarricense
para la Conservación del Ambiente - FECON) had lodged a complaint
against Paul Lambert (File No. 05-007294-647-PE) with the General
Attorney of the Republic, requesting the collaboration of the authorities
to investigate an apparent case of fraud involving the sale of plots
in the above mentioned forest, which is part of the State-owned
national heritage and therefore inalienable and non-lapsing. That
is to say: it is not private property.
The web site
www.latitude9.com
published an advertisement for Tortuga Landing, offering the paradisiacal
forest on the shores of the tropical sea at Punta Quepos and showing
a sketch of the urbanization project comprising fifteen exclusive
plots, nine of which located in the terrestrial maritime area. The
plots had the word SOLD written on them with the exception of one,
valued at US$ 450,000.
The text in English
announced: “Last site up for sale at Tortuga Landing! Tortuga Landing
is a private community located in an exuberant tropical forest
on a private creek…The private sandy beach is one
of the last Pre-Columbian points of arrival of marine turtles, preserved
in a natural state… One of these plots, approximately ¾ of a hectare,
is located on the southern side of the beach and surrounded by virgin
forest. One of the last sea-front opportunities in the area!"
(Following the complaint, the text and graphic illustrations of
the advertisement were removed from the internet page and replaced
by others.)
When I learnt about
the complaint to the Environmental Tribunal I asked to be included
as a part of it and thus I learnt of other revealing data:
- In
1998, Paul Lambert commissioned the preparation of the Regulatory
Plan for Playa Para (a land planning project) that only covers part
of the beach (700 metres) and that is tailor-made to fit the Tortuga
Landing project. Presently this Regulatory Plan is being contested.
- Neither Tortuga Landing
nor Paul Lambert have an approved concession in Playa Para.
- In order to approve
the concession to Paul Lambert, the Municipality of Aguirre conditioned
it to the building of a road.
- Prior to his appointment
as President of the Environmental Tribunal, Lic. Carlos Briceño
Obando carried out functions in the Presidency of the Republic and
in the Municipality of Aguirre.
- To advise him on
environmental matters, Paul Lambert relies on the services of the
company “Alternativas de Gestión Ambiental Sociedad Anónima” - A.G.A.S.A.
(Alternatives to Environmental Management Corporation), which includes
members of the Costa Rican environmental organization Apreflofas.
I conclude with this
reflection: In this increasingly polarized Costa Rica, it is not
a coincidence that the three coastal provinces (Guanacaste, Puntarenas
and Limon), the richest in biodiversity and where tourism brings
in the most foreign currency, should paradoxically be the provinces
showing the lowest rates of human development. In order to satisfy
the needs of some under the pretext of “promoting ecotourism and
attracting foreign investment,” turtles and natural wealth in general
are irresponsibly being replaced by gringos, dollars…and computers.
