The six Gabon tulip trees (Spathodea campanulata) that have graced the area surrounding the Santa Cruz Plaza de Robayna, more commonly known as del Orche, for over 20 years, were felled yesterday by the City Council of the capital due to ongoing works for the establishment of a new pedestrian zone and square at the junction of Méndez Núñez and Robayna streets.
These trees, which had garnered support from environmental groups such as Los Arboles Hablan, had anticipated this eventuality since the commencement of construction in the area, as reported by DIARIO DE AVISOS last May. Nevertheless, the protests did not lead to a favourable resolution, as the aforementioned association stated yesterday, “the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, and the Councilor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, have disregarded the community’s reasonable request to incorporate the tulip trees into the future square’s design.”
According to Los Arboles Hablan, “the council has acted against scientific advice aimed at addressing climate change and has shown cruelty and a lack of ethics by removing trees that are more than 20 years old, robust, healthy, and that many local residents have cared for by watering them since the onset of the works, as the Santa Cruz City Council ceased to provide them water.”
In contrast, the Councilor for Works, Javier Rivero, clarified that “the removal of the trees is due to the fact that the construction of the new square has entered its second phase, necessitating the separation of tree pits from the façade in order to comply with legal requirements for accessibility, which mandate the widening of sidewalks from 80 centimetres to 1.50 metres to facilitate movement for pedestrians and wheelchair users.” He further noted that “the construction works are expected to be completed in time for the onset of Carnival in the streets at the end of next February.”
Moreover, the councilor mentioned that “the trees that have been cut down cannot be relocated, as they have been in old tree pits for several years, leading to vast root systems that have intertwined with the canals, making it impossible to remove them intact; thus, they would perish if relocated.” Rivero asserted that “the future square will feature twice the number of trees currently present, which will not only provide shade but will also thrive in a newly structured soil, complete with natural pavement from local stonework in Arico, while also offering them ample space to grow.”
