The roar of the Guacalate River has become a nightmare for dozens of families in the Villas de San Juan subdivision, in Masagua, Escuintla.
Where there used to be patios, sinks and children’s games, today there is only an abyss that advances with relentless force, slowly devouring the homes located on its edge.
The incessant rains of recent days increased the flow of the river, causing landslides and the collapse of entire lands.
At least 37 homes were damaged, five fell into the abyss and another eight are on the verge of collapse, converted into hanging specters over the void. The local Catholic and Evangelical churches are also at risk.
“We have lived here for twelve years… the river took away the animals, the memories and part of the house,” says a neighbor, while looking at the precipice where her home once stood. On the shore, you can see bathrooms, sinks and furniture hanging from the cracked earth as if they resisted falling.
The Official Rural Mixed School Parcelamiento Villas de San Juan, where 112 children studied, has been declared at high risk. Classes are now taught in private homes and in the enabled shelter, where there are 87 people. Parents fear that the river will advance a little further. Even the churches, symbols of faith and encounter, are on the verge of collapse.
Since April, Mayor Nelson Marroquín assures that the first alerts were issued and evaluations were requested. Letters were also sent to the Ministry of Communications and Conred to request support with hydrological studies. However, the responses arrived late and the studies were never conducted.
He added that since July they began working to protect the rivers and built six dams, which has prevented flooding in the municipality.
“We feel alone as mayor, because we have always seen this risk. There is a lot of bureaucracy in the Government. We really warn, and that frustrates us,” said the mayor.
“It was a chronicle of a disaster foretold,” laments Luis Enrique Contreras, a local geologist, as he observes how the riverbed, with its hydraulic shock and overwhelming force, continues to erode the soil.
The terrain, composed of volcanic material and talpetate, gives way easily to the onslaught of water. The municipality, with the support of a mill and the Corps of Engineers of the Guatemalan Army, is working on the construction of a diversion channel 14 meters wide and 230 meters long, to try to change the course of the river and stop the tragedy.
Still, the danger remains. The community, with about 150 homes, has been marked by vulnerability and uncertainty. Following the channel, there is another community and the urban area of Masagua at risk. The mayor estimates that there are about 10,000 people potentially affected.
The Guacalate River, which is born on the slopes of the Fuego volcano, descends with a high slope and contained fury, dragging rocks that hit the slopes and open a deeper wound every day in the ground… and in the lives of those who inhabit it. They are now asking urgent help from the Central Government and the Ministry of Education, since the school is located about 12 meters from the abyss.
Brenda Martínez, an affected neighbor, remembers that she had just arrived home with her husband when they noticed that the walls were shaking from the force of the current. Minutes later, the walls began to give way to the water.
“It was quite strong. I can’t explain it, but it’s sad to see how our house turned out,” says Martínez, who indicates that they moved to a nearby home that, like his, could be reached by water.
Tífani Martínez, another of the victims, says that she has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years and that she had never seen anything like this. “It’s so hard to see that your house is leaving. It took us almost three years to build it, and to see that your dreams are gone in seconds… Being here, a piece of it left behind. Living like this is quite difficult,” he comments.
Mayra Chávez, also affected, said that they experienced moments of panic when they saw how the current uprooted the trees and carried away the land. “The good thing was that we weren’t asleep, because if not, the story would be different,” he says.
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