Page 12 - aruba today

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 24 February 2017
Surfer ‘paradise’ in Puerto Rico at stake in hotel fight

DANICA COTO for next week.
Associated Press “Why can’t they just make
AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico this a state park?” asked
(AP) — The sun had just 53-year-old Doug Lake,
risen along Puerto Rico’s a surfer who moved from
northwest coast when Paul Los Angeles to Puerto Rico
Schmidt hopped off his surf- nearly 30 years ago. “Utilize
board and emerged from what’s naturally available.
the water at Wilderness They’re walking past the
Beach, ending another ses- obvious.”
sion at a remote area that The protests and ongoing
draws surfers from around legal fight frustrates Agua-
the world looking for the dilla Mayor Carlos Mendez,
next big wave. who said the project will
That day, he and only about create up to 700 jobs and
20 fellow surfers shared boost tourism, which has
waves reaching more than become a critical source
10 feet high. But Schmidt of income and employ-
and others worry that the ment with Puerto Rico’s
days are numbered for this economy mired in a deep
slice of rocky beach ringed recession for about a de-
by mangrove forest and cade.
palm trees, with not a store “Right now it’s so hard to
or house in sight. get to that beach,” he
Developers and local offi- said, noting the developer
cials eager to improve the plans two access roads to
economy want to trans- In this Feb. 16, 2017 photo, a surfer studies the waves at Wilderness Beach, in Aguadilla, a lush replace the single dirt road
corner in northwest Puerto Rico that has remained largely untouched since Christopher Columbus
form the area into a more landed there in his second voyage to the New World. More than 21,000 people have signed an that leads to it. “We’re go-
traditional tourism destina- online petition demanding that a $200 million project dubbed the Christopher Columbus Landing ing to open it up so every-
tion, bringing a hotel and hotel be halted until new environmental impact studies are done and more public hearings are one can enjoy it.”
villas to a place largely un- held for a development originally approved in the mid-1990s. It’s a vision that appeals to
touched since Christopher (AP Photo/Danica Coto) Jose Mendez, a 53-year-old
Columbus landed nearby because Puerto Rico has recent weeks for trying to month to halt the proj- Aguadilla native who lives
on his second voyage to already lost so much of block bulldozers that have ect. They argue it will af- near the development. He
the Western Hemisphere. its once lush coast in the begun clearing land near fect a turtle nesting area, said he’s hoping for a boost
“It’s an untouched gem boom-and-bust economic the town of Aguadilla. threaten public access to in real estate prices for his
that hasn’t been built up, cycles that have defined its More than 22,000 people the beach known locally blue-collar neighborhood
which is just remarkable to modern history. Wilderness have signed an online as “Wildo” and generate and seeing street lights in-
begin with,” said Schmidt, Beach and its surround- petition demanding that runoff that could kill at least stalled through the project,
a 31-year-old from Rocka- ings, which provide habitat the $200 million project three species of coral on among other things.
way, New York, making for endangered coral and dubbed the Christopher the endangered species “This will bring progress
his annual extended surf- sea turtles, is a place where Columbus Landing hotel list. They also question the and work,” he said as he
ing trip to Puerto Rico. “So many on the island, not just be halted until new envi- validity of the permits is- worked on a dilapidated
many places like this have surfers, want to make a ronmental impact studies sued and note that sever- car and gestured toward
been ruined by big resorts stand. are done and more pub- al hotels in the area have his teenage son, whom he
and people trying to make “Everyone assumes we’re lic hearings are held for a closed or remain empty, hopes will find a job at the
money off of something so here defending the beach, development originally ap- including one recently built hotel. “None of the pro-
beautiful and so pure.” but it’s not just the beach. proved in the mid-1990s. by the municipality itself. A testers live here. They don’t
Battles between devel- It’s the biological diversity The director of the Puerto judge who reviewed the know about our daily strug-
opment and preserva- that exists in this valley,” Rico agency that awarded petition initially ruled they gle.”
tion have long played out said Edgardo Gonzalez, those permits did not return were not specific enough Puerto Rico developer
worldwide. But the stakes among more than a doz- calls for comment. about potential threats, but Reinaldo Vincenty said
are especially high here en protesters arrested in Environmentalists sued this scheduled another hearing he plans a 300-room ho-
tel and nearly 100 villas in
US senators: Raul Castro eager to maintain US relations the project’s first phase. He
will develop 50 acres (20
hectares) of the 126 acres
M. WEISSENSTEIN reporters Wednesday at the delegation expressed can Republic last month (51 hectares) he owns and
Associated Press the end of a three-day trip confidence that the open- expressing a desire to work build an ecotourism park
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban to Cuba that included a ing with Cuba would not be with Trump. on another 96 acres (39
President Raul Castro ap- Tuesday night meeting with reversed, despite Trump’s Cuban officials have pub- hectares) featuring a zip
pears eager to maintain Castro. The others included public pledges to do so. licly said nothing about re- line and food kiosks.
better relations with the Republican Sen. Thad Co- The Vermont Democrat, a lations with the U.S. apart Vincenty said he will wait
United States and gave chran of Mississippi, who longtime advocate of bet- from that speech, in which on original plans to build
a group of U.S. Congress spoke favorably of U.S. re- ter U.S. relations with Cuba, Castro said he wanted to a shopping center, casino
members signed copies of lations with Cuba, although said Castro expressed his “express Cuba’s will to keep and condo-hotel given the
a recent speech express- he did not weigh in on spe- desire to keep carrying out negotiating bilateral affairs economic crisis.
ing his willingness to nego- cific aspects of President market-oriented internal re- with the U.S. ... and pursue He said he originally ex-
tiate with President Donald Barack Obama’s detente forms and improve ties with respectful dialogue and pected to open the villas
Trump, Sen. Patrick Leahy with Castro. That policy is Washington. Leahy said cooperation on themes of in August, but ongoing pro-
said this week. under review by the Trump Castro gave the group two common interest with the tests have delayed con-
Leahy and four other mem- administration. Leahy and signed copies of a speech new government of Presi- struction by at least four
bers of Congress spoke to Democratic members of he made in the Domini- dent Donald Trump.”q months. q