Saturday demonstration aims to spotlight deforestation in Cidra

By THE STAR STAFF

The Comité Despertar Cidreño and concerned citizens of the eastern-central mountain municipality are inviting the entire community to participate in a peaceful demonstration this Saturday at 9 a.m. in front of the old Cidra City Hall, with the aim of denouncing the deforestation observed in different sectors of the municipality since the beginning of the administration of Mayor Delvis Pagán Clavijo, and to demand concrete actions to protect the town’s trees, watershed and water supply.

The protest will also denounce the removal of royal palms and other trees from the Francisco M. Zeno Public Square as part of a remodeling project. The organizers argue that the community had no real involvement in the design of the project and that it was possible to rehabilitate and improve the plaza without destroying trees that were part of its landscape and collective identity while providing shade.

“We are not opposed to the square being improved,” said Eliezer Colón Rivera of the Comité Despertar Cidreño. “We oppose removing trees and transforming a public space without listening to the community. Progress should not mean destruction.”

Deforestation threatens Lake Cidra

The call also seeks to educate about the relationship between the loss of vegetation cover, soil erosion and the accumulation of sediments in Lake Cidra. When trees are removed and exposed soils are left, the dragging of soil and sediment into streams, rivers and other bodies of water that feed the reservoir increases. Such sedimentation can progressively reduce storage capacity.

At a time when the possibility of water rationing in Cidra has been publicly raised, the organizations believe that the municipality and the responsible agencies cannot continue to treat deforestation and the deterioration of the lake as separate issues. The organizers said that for Cidra the possibility of rationing represents an unprecedented situation that requires prevention, transparency and immediate action.

“Every tree that is lost without responsible assessment can aggravate erosion and sedimentation,” Colón Rivera added. “Defending the trees of Cidra is also defending the water that sustains our people.”