Reviewing the possible meanings of the term, the mound was a daily reference in the ancestral Mayan culture to denote where an important person lay, having been the place selected for his grave. And although in most cases the moundy was related to religious ceremonies, they were also used to highlight an important point that served as a meeting for importance of importance.
Now, the reflection I want to motivate is not about the ceremonial character of the building of these peculiar mounds, but about the excessive use that has been made to alter, in an incidental or upset way, the daily life of many citizens who require the road network to be able to develop the day to day of their economic, social and political activities. It is enough to travel some sections of the main routes that connect with the area of the Verapaces or with the Western Altiplano to denote the growing number of burials that have been installed in the middle of the Central American, national and departmental routes. They vary in structural design, in materials, dimensions and sinuosity, but they have in common the manifest intention of stopping everyone who seeks to reach their destination expeditious and free of obstacles.
So disastrous has been the proliferation of these alterations to the line of the country’s roads, which in 2014 was approved by the Congress of the Republic the law for circulation by free roads of any type of obstacle (Decree 8-2014). The purpose of this regulatory body is to guarantee the circulation of people and goods through the country’s road network without any stumbling block, and regulate the possibility of installation of burials in those places where circumstances merit it.
4 mounds per kilometer
But despite the validity of the law, little has been done to stop the installation of mounds, especially in the routes of greater capacity and speed. Each mound that is installed reduces the transit speed, aggravates the accidents on the route, erodes the load capacity of the vehicles, and introduces additional costs to the country’s logistics. As an example, on the CA-14 there are stretches with between three and four mounds per kilometer, which implies that to mobilize between the summit in Tactic and Cobán, the damage that causes between 100 and 120 mounds must be supported. The affectation of this excessive amount of mounds can represent a reduction of up to 50% of the average speed, which implies that, for an expected route of 30 minutes to 60 kilometers per hour, it ends up representing more than an hour of journey.
The law prohibits the placement of obstacles in the main roads of the country, unless there is an express authorization from the General Directorate of Roads (article 2). And in the event that this prohibition is not fulfilled (article 3), such obstacles will be withdrawn without the need for a prior notice, even with the help of the National Civil Police (article 8). And when the offender is identified, the fines contemplated could range between the thousand and five thousand quetzales (article 6), being able to impose themselves, who puts the circulation of vehicles in grave and imminent risk or danger, a sanction of one year in jail due to alteration of the road (article 9).
A brief survey in social networks and media would be enough to get the idea of the impact that the tumulos have on the lives and goods of the users of these roads. And although the largest complaint is the costs incurred by the destruction of the vehicles, it scares the amount of accidents that could have been prevented if the mounds were not placed pleased. There are groups that argue that the installation of mounds is a guarantee of customer flow to a business close to the road, but what cannot be excused is that this is the only pretext, and that the particular interest deprives general welfare.
If there were justified cause, the municipalities could request authorization to install mounds in order to reduce the speed of the vehicles (article 5), but in the case that this procedure has not been carried out, it is the obligation of the Ministry of Communications to order the immediate withdrawal of all types of constructions that make it difficult or prevent the free movement of the vehicles.
Before, leaders, political and religious were buried, and the place of his death was commemorated. Today, the tumuli only serve to bury the hope of having a functional road network, being a reason for dispute between the users of the road network and the inhabitants of the villages outside the roads. And this brawl is not at zero cost, but translates into higher prices due to the costs that are generated by logistics difficulties for the mobilization of goods and services. It is more to delve into how this overpricing impacts the cost of living of people living in conditions of poverty, and that, coincidentally, they live in the final destinations of the routes with more mounds in the country.
With the mounds we all lose, and I can not think of a single scenario in which there is some kind of benefit for someone, because they even lose those who spend in the installation of these obstacles. Therefore, the call is to those responsible for exercising the authority granted by law, thus seeking the well -being of the communities that most urgently need a functional road network that allows the development to those who are closest to be found faster.
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