It was stated at the press conference: “There are responsibilities that must be assumed, and if there are gears that are not working, they must be corrected.” The Municipal Council reiterated its willingness to work with the Central Government, the Sanitation Authority, and the San Miguelito Mayor's Office to ensure a dignified, stable, and sustainable waste collection service, prioritizing the health, safety, and peace of mind of more than 400,000 residents of the district. “This is not a fight between factions. Here, the only objective is San Miguelito and its people,” the council members concluded. The Municipal Council of San Miguelito spoke out this Thursday about the persistent waste collection crisis in the district and demanded that the new phase of the service be executed with planning, organization, and permanent communication, avoiding improvisations that affect the population. The president of the Municipal Council, Juan Barsallo, assured that the concern over the management of solid waste has been a constant priority for the Council and that since 2023, formal actions have been promoted to seek real solutions to the problem. Barsallo recalled that through Agreement No. 73 of July 16, 2024, the Council ratified Agreement 72 of July 2023, which authorizes the mayor of San Miguelito to explore alternatives with companies to guarantee the collection, treatment, and final disposal of garbage in the district. “The Council is not improvising. Administrative decisions do not fall on the Council, but we do have the duty to oversee and accompany so that what is executed is correct,” stated Barzai. The president of the Council explained that the recent resolution of the Sanitation Authority caught local authorities by surprise, so they formally requested a meeting with its director to learn about the plan, strategy, and route that will be followed in the district's nine townships starting January 19. Barsallo pointed out that currently, the problem has been mitigated in about 200 critical points of garbage accumulation, thanks to the joint work of the Sanitation Authority, the community boards, and the municipality, although he acknowledged that the situation still requires structural adjustments. “The district was submerged in garbage just two weeks ago. We have been responsible and have acted within the times that the public thing demands. Today there is an evident improvement, but this cannot be managed in the short term or with patches.”
