The Minister of the Environment, Sade Fritschihas assured that the area where the real estate project is implemented «Echo Olón«, owned by the wife of the President of the Republic, Lavinia Valbonesi, “does not correspond to a protected area”.
“This project intersects with the Esterillo Oloncito natural protective forest and vegetation by 16%. According to the regulations in force since 2017, The implementation of productive, sustainable activities and the execution of public or private works in protective forests will be allowed.”says a ministry document.
The statement released on the X account of the Ministry of Environment has been made public after The National Assembly approved, with 115 votes, his appearance before the Plenary “to explain the process of obtaining environmental licenses in the protected environmental zone of the Santa Elena province.”
The Assembly has not set a date or time to receive the minister.
“I will gladly attend and clarify that all official information is and has always been public on the portals of the Ministry of Environment”the minister has posted.
Regarding the investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office, Fritschi said that “it will allow us to demonstrate that this issue has been used to misinform.”
Minister of Lasso denies
He added that the process for the development of the ECHO project began in the previous administration and followed the corresponding process within the SUIA System, “in which it was automatically categorized as ‘low impact’ which corresponds to obtaining an Environmental Registry”.
The Minister of Environment of the Lasso government, José Dávalos, has denied that the process had begun during his administration. “Entered on November 28, 2023”he stated in a letter released this afternoon.
Noboa assumed the Presidency of the Republic on November 23, 2023.
The minister also stated that the implementation area was inspected and that after that the environmental viability report was issued, which concluded that “the area had already been intervened some time ago.” And she specified that in the space where it will be built, “there is no presence of mangroves or endemic species.”
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