The expansion of the private neighborhood Puerto Nizuc over the Hudson wetlands, in Berazategui, generated controversy following the call for a belated public consultation.
Environmentalists denounced that the company called it out of time and that the damage to the ecosystem is already done.
The public consultation for the country club located in the Hudson wetlands, near the shore, stirred the environmental debate in the area.
In response, the Regional Forum in Defense of the Río de la Plata, Health, and Environment harshly criticized the process.
A public consultation for the Hudson wetlands
Developers of gated communities established over the wetlands complied with legal frameworks only after a court order.
The Forum regretted that a ruling was necessary for Nueva Marinas del Sur to request the call.
“They only comply with the legal frameworks when the Justice orders it,” argued the Río de la Plata Forum in an official statement on the Hudson case.
The developing company submitted a request to the Municipality of Berazategui to put environmental impact studies to citizen consideration.
These documents had already been submitted and approved but were never subjected to neighborhood consultation.
The new private neighborhood in the Hudson wetlands, out of context and with damage done
“They call for a popular consultation only because the Justice ordered it,” stated the environmental entity about the process in the Hudson wetlands.
The organization pointed out multiple irregularities in the administrative procedure of the private neighborhood.
The consultation presents several problems according to the environmentalists who denounced the advance over the wetlands:
- It was called out of temporal context
- It should have been conducted at the start of the process
- The process was always incomplete
- The citizen participation stage was missing
“The environmental damage is already done, but it is also a virtual consultation instead of in-person, conducted deceptively and almost silently,” stated the Forum about the situation in Hudson.
The concerning prior destruction of the ecosystem
The call came after Puerto Nizuc destroyed forests and wetlands in the Hudson area.
Environmentalists argue that the consultation should have been conducted before resuming the works of the abandoned Puerto Trinidad project.
“A consultation that should be open and inclusive participation becomes a mockery of the people they claim to consult,” denounced the Río de la Plata Forum.
The organization considers that the process violated national and international legal norms on citizen participation.
The controversy over Puerto Nizuc in the Hudson wetlands reflects the conflicts between real estate development and ecosystem conservation on the Buenos Aires shore.
The case continues under judicial scrutiny while the public consultation progresses amid questioning.
The residents of Berazategui will have the opportunity to express themselves about the environmental impact studies, although the destruction of the wetland in Hudson has already been carried out according to environmentalist complaints.
