Santiago.- The 48-hour strike called in the municipality of Licey al Medio, the municipal district of Las Palomas, and the lower part of Moca has kept businesses closed and resulted in scarce pedestrian circulation in several communities, while its organizers warned that the protest could be extended to 72 hours or more if the Government does not offer concrete solutions to a broad list of demands that, they claim, have gone unaddressed for years.
The spokesperson for the Unity and Progress Struggle Front (FLUP), Mariano Martínez, stated that the day of protest has received significant support from the population and businesses, while also denouncing a heavy militarization of the area.
Martínez explained that among the main demands are the completion of the Licey al Medio Municipal Hospital, the construction of the Uveral road, the supply of drinking water for the La Reina community, the Licey sports center, the roofing of the court at kilometer 11, the Mercedes Peña Polytechnic court, and the reconstruction of the Barrio Lindo school, which was affected by landslides.
He indicated that, due to the closure of the school campus, dozens of students must travel between five and six kilometers by motorcycle to attend classes, exposing themselves to accidents daily.
Regarding the hospital, he recalled that the center has remained out of service for two years after its services were moved to Licey park due to reconstruction work. Although the authorities announced the delivery of the emergency area for next July 30th and the rest of the project for December, he questioned the intention to offer medical care while construction work continues.
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Regarding the drinking water system in La Reina, he maintained that it is a demand of more than 15 years and denounced that numerous residents receive service bills, even though the water does not reach their homes.
Martínez described the Government’s recent actions as a “mockery,” pointing out that just days before the strike, heavy equipment was sent to the hospital and announcements were made regarding the start of work on the Uveral road, without any real progress on those projects.
“If there is no serious response with concrete dates, we are considering extending the strike to 72 hours or more,” he warned.
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For his part, popular leader José Rafael Méndez denounced that several communities in Licey al Medio remain abandoned by the authorities and assured that they will continue the protests until they receive answers.
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Among the communities participating in the strike, he mentioned La Reina, La Paloma, Limonal, kilometer 11, and other sectors of the municipality.
Likewise, he denounced that since Sunday afternoon the presence of police and military agents at the access points to the communities has increased, a situation he described as an attempt to intimidate the population. However, he indicated that so far no people had been reported detained.
The organizers reiterated that the protest will continue as long as there is no formal commitment from the Government to execute the demanded works, many of which, they stated, have been pending for 15 to 20 years.
