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Tarima al aire libre con banderas de Colombia y público de espaldas en una plaza caribeña con palmeras y el mar al fondo
Imagen alusiva a un acto público presidencial en una plaza caribeña colombiana, con tarima y público reunido. · Imagen generada por EPM

De La Espriella denounces a water tanker mafia in Santa Marta

President Abelardo De La Espriella reported in Santa Marta an alleged case of corruption related to water tanker trucks and said the case is already with the…

--- The context --- Santa Marta faces a drinking water crisis. At the close of a busy work agenda in the Colombian Caribbean, President Abelardo De La Espriella visited the city and spoke about the measures to address the water crisis in Magdalena, making the issue the center of his public address. --- The facts --- While delivering his speech, the head of state said his government had detected an alleged case of corruption related to water tanker trucks in Santa Marta, and stated that there would be a mafia interested in preventing definitive solutions for the region's water from being found. The president explained that the plants are not moving forward for two reasons. The financial one: a liter of water from the plant costs a thousand times more, which makes it financially unviable. The environmental one: an impact that is impossible to resolve, or very costly to resolve, in a city with so many natural wonders. He stressed that it was not a whim, but a search for a lasting solution. He also acknowledged that he took longer than announced: 20 days ago he said he had the solution in 10 days, he admitted it took 10 more because they began reviewing absolutely everything, and today there is a clearer picture. --- The positions --- The president argued that a temporary solution, such as water tanker trucks, cannot become the constant, and stated that behind it there is a business that his government has already reported. He indicated that the case is in the hands of the attorney general of the Nation and in the power of the Prosecutor's Office, with names, information, evidence, videos and all the material. He stressed that in his government there is no fear of pointing out what must be pointed out, and that there are people who do not want Santa Marta to have water because they live off that business. He attributed part of the problem to the neglect of Bogota centralism, which abandoned this district and Magdalena to their fate many years ago, and argued that great transformations are made from the central government. --- What remains unknown --- The text does not detail who the people named would be or what concrete evidence already rests with the Prosecutor's Office. Nor does it specify the immediate measures to guarantee water while the complaint advances, or the timeline for the lasting solution that was announced. --- Unanswered questions --- Who makes up the alleged water tanker mafia identified by the president? What evidence and videos did the government hand over to the Prosecutor's Office? When will there be decisions on the complaint that was filed? What will happen to Santa Marta's water supply while the lasting solution is defined? --- EPM analysis --- The speech combined the financial and environmental explanation for ruling out the plants with a complaint that, according to the president, is already with the Prosecutor's Office. In closing, he recalled that for the first time in 140 years another son of the Caribbean sits in the seat of Bolivar and assured that Santa Marta's water problem will be solved. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the complaint places Santa Marta's water where it belongs: on the ground of verifiable facts and responsibilities before the Prosecutor's Office. If the government maintains that it has names, information, evidence and videos, the next step is for that evidence to produce decisions and for the city to see a clear route to leave behind the temporary water tanker solution. The credibility of the promise will be measured in available water.
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