The Minister of Public Works (MOP), José Luis Andrade, announced that Río Abajo will benefit from the road restructuring, which reaches about 5 kilometers, reiterating that the famous Afro-Antillean trail will not be eliminated. "There is goodwill for this to come to fruition and avoid conflicts," expressed the head of the MOP portfolio, in relation to the concern of citizens and entrepreneurs in the area. Andrade appeared at the summons by the Commerce Commission of the National Assembly, chaired by Deputy Ernesto Cedeño, and stated that the project passing through Río Abajo includes the reduction of floods that also affect Lefevre Park. Minister Andrade acknowledges that there are still missing details and that one cannot be on points that are unknown, in addition to the fact that the Environmental Impact Study by the Environment has not yet been finalized, which is paramount in these works. "They proceeded abruptly by sending communications to contractors when there is not even a endorsement, and the Law is clear in requiring that there must be an endorsement from the Ministry of Public Works," explained Deputy Cedeño, adding that it is important that there is a line of communication and that proposals are presented. Regarding Deputy Jairo Salazar, Cedeño expressed that the reason for which Minister Andrade was summoned was one and that the Colón deputy was out of place.
