Isla Iguana under review after bombs detonated
A review of public areas on Isla Iguana in began on Thursday, February 22nd in order to confirm whether or not tourists will be allowed to access enter the protected area of Pedasi.
The review comes after two bombs each weighing approximately 500 pounds each were found in less than a month of each other at El Cirial beach.
The country chose to detonate the bombs, an operation carried out by the National Security Council.
The mayor of the district of Pedasí, Miguel Batista, explained in statement following a meeting with local fishermen the Pedasí Chamber of Tourism and officials of the Ministry of Environment, he would offer his support to carry out a study with an aim to “clean up the area” and “ensure the safety of visitors to the island ".
The mayor explained in his statement that explosive devices were not found in the public areas under review tourism would continue as Normal.
However, fishermen and those businesses invested in tourism are responding that their businesses have been negatively affected by the closure.
The island was off limits during Tuesday of Carnival (February 13) following the discovery of the bomb and continues to closed for tourist. A representative of the village of Pedasí, Ricaurte Barahona, spoke to this situation explaining that it was “affecting a large number of families that depend on this activity”.
In an article with La Prensa, Edson Hernández, owner of a hostel and fisherman from the Pedasí explained his dissatisfaction with the “mismanagement of the information” adding that the Ministry of Environment (Mi Ambiente) should have issued an official explanation regarding the closures.
