Orlando Jorge Mera was a very active current Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, and in his brief tenure in that position he showed a great understanding of the importance of tourism for our economy and the role that this ministry should assume in matters related to it. In doing so, he took on board the importance that President Luis Abinader assigns to this sector in his strategy to get the economy and the country out of the slump caused by the pandemic.
I’m not one to praise people posthumously. I have written about Orlando’s work as minister before, and how his main legacies for the tourism sector are his dedication to rescuing important protected areas, and even more overwhelming, his decision to rid important beaches and natural resources in various regions of squatters, illegal activities and constructions, and return them to their use for tourism.
In the case of squatters in tourist areas, his actions were mirrored in President Abinader’s decision to apply a zero-tolerance policy to the encroachment of public or private property, organized by groups, gangs or individuals.
In his endeavors Orlando had unlimited support from the Ministry of Defense and the National Environmental Protection Service (SENPA), a specialized body of the Ministry of Defense made up of soldiers from various armed institutions, led by Army Colonel Ambiorix Cepeda Hernández, an academic officer recognized for his rectitude.
Orlando undertook the rescue of important tourist areas mainly on the North and East coasts. His actions rattled quite a few cages. On the one hand, the populism that justifies the expropriation led by high-flying businesspeople either disguised as or hiding behind “heads of families” posing as militants who “fought in the campaign” claiming the right to a part of the “spoils”.
On the other hand, high-ranking leaders of the ruling party and even some ministers, who unashamedly staged procedures supporting illegal occupation operations which are actually blackmail schemes, which, with the support of courts and other instances of the judicial system, extend the illegal occupation of properties for many years and requiring the real owners having to fork out fortunes to vacate their land and beaches and make way for development projects. Legal security? No, legal shame, of the rotten judiciary we have inherited.
The main SEMPA beach rescues instigated by Orlando are: OPERATION TRAMAYO throughout the southern coast; OPERATION ARENA GORDA, (Punta Cana) to clear a market with numerous shacks within the 60 meters high tide limit (protected area); OPERATION MONTE RIO (Azua), restaurants 60 meters from the high tide were evicted; OPERATION EL VALLE (Samaná) several restaurants within 60 meters of the high tide limit were evicted; and ACTION PLAN (Isla Saona) to clean the beach of bottles and glass. Also, CABEZA DE TORO (Punta Cana) where a dilapidated shopping plaza within the 60-meter limit that polluted the neighboring mangrove swamp was removed. The rescue of beaches initiated by Orlando must continue, just like the national parks.
Source:
Resumen Turismo
