Agreement reached for free and safe access to Cueva del Indio

Through the agreement, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources has formally committed to demarcating, identifying and ensuring safe, free and public access to the iconic Cueva del Indio in Arecibo.

By The Star Staff

Residents of Arecibo communities and environmental groups have reached an agreement with the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) for free, public and safe access to the Cueva del Indio (Indian’s Cave) in Arecibo, as well as to develop a management plan for the reserve.

The agreement was reached between residents, along with the environmental organizations Citizens in Defense of the Environment and Neighbors in the Rescue of Islet Access and Trails, represented by Legal Services of Puerto Rico (SLPR by its initials in Spanish) and the DNER.

“For years, community residents and environmental groups have been advocating for safe and free access, as well as protection for the Cueva del Indio and its natural surroundings,” SLPR Deputy Executive Director Alejandro Figueroa said in a written statement. “This demand arose from incidents of vandalism, littering, illegal construction, and other actions that were damaging this natural, archaeological, and marine reserve.”

Through the agreement, which was litigated by Attorney Omar Saadé Yordán from SLPR’s Compensated Practice Program, the DNER has formally committed to demarcating, identifying and ensuring safe, free and public access to the iconic Cueva del Indio. Furthermore, the agency has agreed to collaborate with the owner of the adjacent land to acquire the necessary access, either through a voluntary agreement or by utilizing an eminent domain process.

The Arecibo Court of First Instance has mandated that hearings will be held every six months to evaluate the progress of the efforts, ensuring transparency and compliance with the agreement.

The Municipality of Arecibo has offered to assist the DNER once the necessary permits and procedures for the road demarcation are obtained. The goal is to make access to Cueva del Indio available to all residents of Arecibo and Puerto Rico.

Additionally, it was agreed that once the land strip is identified, a management and conservation plan for the reserve will be established. The agencies that comprise the Interagency Committee for the Conservation and Development of the Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve, established by Law 175-2003, will actively participate in the access and management plan to ensure that it aligns with principles of conservation and environmental protection.

In November, the plaintiffs filed a writ of mandamus in the Arecibo Court of First Instance requesting that state agencies, including the DNER, fulfill their ministerial duty to implement the management plan for the Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve. That includes designing, structuring and implementing the Conservation and Development Plan and the Action Plan, which encompasses access roads and trails to the reserve.

Cueva del Indio is a rock formation penetrated by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The plaintiffs describe it as a “national treasure” due to the Taino petroglyphs it contains. It was designated an archaeological site in 1988, a nature reserve in 1992, and a marine reserve in 2015.