La Parguera protesters arrested while demanding teardown of construction
By The Star Staff
Authorities on Sunday arrested several protesters who were demanding the dismantling of a shoreline structure being built on a property in La Parguera whose owner reportedly is related to the husband of Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón.
The protesters arrived early in the morning after a call made by Eliezer Molina on social media. Molina urged the protesters to bring drills to tear down the alleged illegal construction.
According to Telenoticias, the protesters began to remove a pier and other structures at the property being built in a maritime-land area that according to the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources is within a protected reserve.
In May, DNER Secretary Anaís Rodríguez Vega acknowledged that at the site “we see mangrove cutting and we see construction material in the area in the videos.”
“That goes without saying,” she said. “Mangrove cutting is not allowed and construction in the reserve is also not allowed and we are talking about a protected natural reserve.”
On Sunday, the DNER insisted that active cases of violations at La Parguera are being handled through administrative and legal means.
“As always, protests are permitted as long as laws and regulations are respected,” the statement said, citing Rodríguez Vega.