Leonel Vidal resides in Santa Catarina Pinula for four decades. He works as a commercial supervisor in an engineering company and electrical systems. Remember that a decade ago, he took about 45 minutes to reach his office. Now, you must calculate twice as much time to mobilize and reach timely to your work.
He says that the increase in residential projects has caused many more vehicles to transit in the same arteries, added to the lack of infrastructure. “We need broader routes, however they build overpasses that do not meet their mission; On the other hand, this has caused the water service to be irregular and no longer satisfies the demand of all the inhabitants, ”he says.
Vidal’s testimony is consistent with the introductory approach of the Municipal Development Plan and Territorial Planning -PDM-OT- of this municipality (2020), in whose introduction the current mayor, Sebastián Siero, affirms that, in recent decades, the territory has grown disproportionately and, consequent of the quality of life of its residents. He adds in the document: “It is a municipality that favors economic investment in real estate projects, the development of commercial infrastructure, among others, for its geographical position.”
Although the licenses issued by multifamily housing in the last four years only register five projects in Santa Catarina, income from construction licenses (of all kinds) have increased from Q8.8 million in 2021, to Q14.2 million in 2024, according to the local governor portal of the Ministry of Finance.
Along these lines, the Single Property Tax (IUSI) reports the following increase in municipal coffers: from Q82.5 million in 2021 to Q91.2 million in 2024, according to the minfin.
Supply and demand evolve
Santa Catarina Pinula is located in the southeast of the department of Guatemala just nine kilometers away from the capital city. It is made up of 10 zones, 16 villages and 2 geographical areas, in an area of 51.95 square kilometers, in accordance with the Municipal Development Plan and Territorial Planning (PDM-OT) of the year 2020.
Population growth has been lower, compared to other municipalities, going from being a rural to urban territory. In 1950, 5,187 residents were counted, all rural; But five decades later, the inhabitants were already 63,767 people, most urban (Census 2002), according to figures from the Center for Urban and Regional Studies (CEUR) of the University of San Carlos. In 2024, the population projection estimates around 88 thousand 047 settlers.
Its geographical location and closeness with the capital favored rapid housing growth. In the 1995-2015 period, it can be observed with the amount of construction licenses issued. In single -family housing, he registered 5.203 units, in series housing a total of 1,996 and multifamily housing were 521 projects.
Problem
Part of the embodied findings is that this is a municipality of irregular topography, of forest vocation and producer of water resource. Therefore “it is not suitable for the establishment of human settlements.”
Thus, housing projects have reduced forest coverage and decreased water recharge. It was also detected that it faces an problem of vehicular mobility that has been increasing, given population growth, the increase in vehicles, the absence of efficient public transport, insufficient road infrastructure, according to the document.
Words such as garbage, solid waste or drains have little mention within the POT of Santa Catarina, as limiting development factors for its inappropriate use. Mayor Sebastián Siero, also president of the National Association of Municipalities (ANAM) has filed several actions before the Constitutional Court (CC) to oppose the wastewater treatment, as well as the management of solid waste.
In contrast, the environmentalist Jeanne Samayoa, president of the Fundación Crecer, explains how the problem of water supply, drains, solid waste, which have an impact on the climate change and health of the inhabitants, are part of a system collapsed in almost all the municipalities of the country.
Thus, these basic services are generally out of municipal planning plans. “In addition to being outdated, which causes disorder, allow the discretionary management of the mayors,” he says.
Samayoa agrees with the other analysts in which the densification is desirable. One of its advantages is that it allows better to supply a population that lives concentrated. However, the reality is that it densifies without investing in infrastructure that sustains this change.
This is reflected in drinking water supply, drainage management and solid waste. For example, the repeal of the Government Agreement 236-2006 that tried to regulate wastewater in the country. “Although the most recent buildings are asked to comply with a discharge regulation and wastewater reuse, and the industry applies it, it is useless if municipalities do not. We have been delayed for decades, ”says Samayoa.
The municipality accounted for 20,064 households, of which 16,606 have a pipe in their home, 1,786 have perforated well and 139 households are supplied with trucks or barrels. Population and housing census 2018 (INE).
For its part, Vidal considers that urban expansion has positive as negative aspects. On the one hand, development generates economic opportunities, new businesses, recreation and work in the construction sector. But it has also brought challenges. Traffic, lack of basic services such as water and public transport affect the quality of life of its inhabitants.
A day of publication this note, the mayor of Santa Catarina Pinula, Sebastián Siero, did not respond to several calls or messages made since February 11. It was also attempted to contact it via the Anam.