Almost a year and a half has elapsed since the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) suspended the construction of the Belize 2 Bridge, a project awarded during the administration of Alejandro Giammattei, through the General Directorate of Caminos, and that would cost a few Q1 thousand 785 million.
However, Minister Miguel Ángel Díaz indicated that the construction of the project will be reactivated, due to a resolution that recently issued the Constitutional Court (CC).
On May 27, the notification on a protection in favor of Reyna de Jesús Escobar Rodríguez, Marta Luisa Tepen Soyos de Surat and Blanca Julia Contreras López de Montenegro arrived at the Office of Legal Affairs. The action demanded President Bernardo Arévalo, the Minister of Finance, Jonathan Menkos, and the Minister of Communications, Miguel Ángel Díaz, to resume the project that was paralyzed.
The maximum court considered that the authorities questioned “immediately must carry out and adopt as much as necessary to continue, execute and conclude the construction of the project.”
The resolution also explains that, to continue with the work, the country’s current legislation must be observed and respect. Within 30 business days, from the notification, a reprogramming plan for the execution of the project called Belize Bridge 2 must be developed.
“It must contain an updated diagnosis of the physical and financial state of the project, as well as a specific schedule of activities until its completion, ensuring the public dissemination of the process in Guatecompras and in the corresponding transparency portals,” reads the document.
However, according to the CIV authorities, there are two problems that make it difficult to reactivate the work. The first is that the right of way in some lands was not considered, and now the State must make negotiations so that construction can continue.
“There are several issues there. The first is the right of road and the other issue is that of the Railway Bridge of Las Vacas, which I have understood has been declared cultural heritage. In any case, we are in coordination with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, through IDAEH (Institute of Anthropology and History), to find a solution. But we are working on the continuity of that project and in responding to the provisions issued by the Court of Constitutional. Minister Díaz at a press conference.
The General Directorate of Roads is found in the analysis and compliance with what was issued by the Court. However, documents to which Free Press and Guatevisión had access indicate that “if the reactivation of the current contract was not possible in accordance with the law, a new urgent public procurement procedure must be promoted in respect for applicable norms and with the supervision of the respective control bodies”, this from the date on which the execution of the protection is received.