Miguel Varela Pinedo, mayor of Zacatecas, and attorney Jorge Rada Luévano announced this Tuesday that the Third District Court granted a new provisional suspension, requested by 11 citizens, against the construction of the elevated viaduct in that city, promoted by Governor David Monreal Ávila.
The injunction follows the one filed and obtained by another group of residents in March, which keeps the projected 3.652 billion pesos project on hold.
With this new temporary resolution, the state government is required to submit, by April 11, the necessary documentation to continue construction, namely, the 42 municipal permits stipulated by the Public Works Law, as well as other federal permits, such as risk studies, environmental impact assessments, and economic impact assessments.
At a press conference, PAN mayor Miguel Varela Pinedo confirmed that the project, which was put out to tender and awarded at a fixed price since January 2024 to the construction company HYCSA, “does not have the corresponding municipal permits and represents a risk to the environment and the quality of life of the people of Zacatecas.”
Miguel Varela Pinedo assumed the municipal presidency of Zacatecas for the PAN in September 2024.
However, construction of the elevated viaduct had not begun during his administration because the Morena state government, through the Ministry of Public Works, had not obtained the necessary municipal permits.
In fact, in an interview with the local press, former mayor Miranda Castro stated at the time that the City Council could not approve it because he himself was unaware of the executive project.
In November 2024, Governor David Monreal Ávila ordered the construction to begin without permits; However, this has not moved forward, as it has been suspended, first by the municipality, then by members of the Zacatecas teachers’ union, and now through federal injunctions.
This Tuesday, Isaac Alejandro Rivera Ruvalcaba, Secretary of Ecology and Environment for the city council, reported that “the ecological effects of the project would be serious, with an increase in pollution, the reduction of green areas, and irreversible damage to the urban ecosystem.”
Therefore, the mayor reiterated that “we will not allow impositions without planning or a sustainable vision, because Zacatecas deserves responsible and environmentally friendly development.”
Meanwhile, attorney Jorge Rada noted that in addition to legal proceedings, widespread opposition to the elevated viaduct project from various civil society organizations, professional associations, as well as academics and researchers from the Autonomous University of Zacatecas has been significant.
He reported that, with the provisional suspension granted on March 14, the next step will be the constitutional hearing scheduled for April 11. At this hearing, “the state government must present the risk studies, the corresponding licenses from federal agencies, and, most importantly, the permit from the Zacatecas city council. If these requirements are not met, the project will remain suspended.”
Source: jornada
