{ "id": "case-17-016246-0007-co", "citation": "Exp. 17-016246-0007-CO", "section": "case_summaries", "doc_type": "case_summary", "title_es": "Amparo contra uso de suelo agrícola en Corredor Biológico", "title_en": "Amparo against agricultural land use in Biological Corridor", "summary_es": "La Sala Constitucional conoció un recurso de amparo presentado por un particular contra la Municipalidad de Buenos Aires de Puntarenas, la Dirección de Agua del MINAE y el SINAC, por considerar que el cambio de uso del suelo de bosque a cultivo en una finca dentro del Corredor Biológico Paso de la Danta vulneraba sus derechos fundamentales. El recurrente alegó que las autoridades omitieron hacer cumplir la normativa ambiental, en particular la Ley Forestal y la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre, al permitir actividades agrícolas en áreas que deben conservar su cobertura boscosa. La Sala declaró sin lugar el amparo, argumentando que la finca en cuestión no está registrada como bosque en el catastro nacional, que no se demostró la existencia de un daño directo y concreto a los derechos del recurrente, y que las medidas cautelares solicitadas no procedían por carecer de asidero fáctico suficiente. El fallo subraya que la protección del ambiente es un interés difuso que no puede ser tutelado mediante amparo cuando no hay una afectación personal y directa, y remite al recurrente a las vías administrativas y penales ordinarias para denunciar posibles infracciones.", "summary_en": "The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by an individual against the Municipality of Buenos Aires de Puntarenas, the Water Directorate of MINAE, and SINAC, claiming that the change of land use from forest to agriculture on a farm within the Paso de la Danta Biological Corridor violated his fundamental rights. The petitioner argued that the authorities failed to enforce environmental regulations, particularly the Forestry Law and the Wildlife Conservation Law, by permitting agricultural activities in areas that must maintain forest cover. The Chamber dismissed the amparo, holding that the farm in question is not registered as forest in the national cadastre, that no direct and concrete harm to the petitioner's rights was demonstrated, and that the requested interim measures lacked sufficient factual basis. The ruling emphasizes that environmental protection constitutes a diffuse interest that cannot be protected through amparo absent personal and direct harm, and refers the petitioner to ordinary administrative and criminal channels to report possible infractions.", "court_or_agency": "", "date": "", "year": "", "topic_ids": [ "procedural-environmental", "forestry-law-7575", "biological-corridors" ], "primary_topic_id": "biological-corridors", "es_concept_hints": [ "amparo ambiental", "interés difuso", "corredor biológico", "cambio de uso del suelo", "SINAC", "legitimación activa", "medidas cautelares" ], "concept_anchors": [ { "law": "Ley 7575" }, { "law": "Ley 7317" }, { "law": "Decreto 40043-MINAE" } ], "keywords_es": [ "amparo ambiental", "interés difuso", "corredor biológico", "cambio de uso del suelo", "bosque", "Sala Constitucional", "SIN AC", "Municipalidad de Buenos Aires", "Ley Forestal", "legitimación", "medidas cautelares", "ambiente sano" ], "keywords_en": [ "environmental amparo", "diffuse interest", "biological corridor", "land use change", "forest", "Constitutional Chamber", "SINAC", "Municipality of Buenos Aires", "Forestry Law", "standing", "interim measures", "healthy environment" ], "excerpt_es": "Esta Sala ha reiteradamente señalado que la protección del ambiente es un interés difuso, cuya tutela mediante el recurso de amparo exige que el recurrente acredite un perjuicio personal y directo sobre sus derechos fundamentales. En el presente caso, el recurrente no ha demostrado que la actividad agrícola desarrollada en la finca colindante le cause un daño cierto, actual y personalizado que transgreda su derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado. Por el contrario, sus alegatos se dirigen a denunciar una situación genérica de incumplimiento normativo, cuyo control corresponde a las autoridades administrativas y judiciales ordinarias.\n\nAdemás, consta en el expediente que la propiedad donde se realiza el cultivo no está inscrita como bosque en el Registro Nacional, por lo que no resulta aplicable la regulación especial de la Ley Forestal sobre áreas de protección y restricción de uso. Tampoco se acreditó que el inmueble se encuentre dentro de un área silvestre protegida, declarada como tal por el Estado, que amerite una intervención cautelar de esta Sala.", "excerpt_en": "This Chamber has repeatedly held that environmental protection is a diffuse interest, whose protection through the amparo remedy requires the petitioner to demonstrate personal and direct harm to his fundamental rights. In this case, the petitioner has not shown that the agricultural activity carried out on the adjoining farm causes him a certain, current, and personalized harm that violates his right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. On the contrary, his allegations are aimed at reporting a generic situation of regulatory non-compliance, whose control corresponds to ordinary administrative and judicial authorities.\n\nFurthermore, the record shows that the property where the crop is grown is not registered as forest in the National Registry, so the special regulation of the Forestry Law on protection and use-restriction areas is not applicable. Nor was it demonstrated that the property is within a protected wild area, declared as such by the State, that would warrant an interim intervention by this Chamber.", "outcome": { "label_en": "Denied", "label_es": "Sin lugar", "summary_en": "The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo for lack of active standing and absence of personal and direct harm, noting that environmental protection as a diffuse interest cannot be protected through this remedy in the specific case.", "summary_es": "La Sala Constitucional declaró sin lugar el recurso de amparo por falta de legitimación activa y ausencia de daño personal y directo, señalando que la protección del ambiente como interés difuso no puede tutelarse por esta vía en el caso concreto." }, "pull_quotes": [ { "context": "Considerando sobre la legitimación", "quote_en": "Environmental protection is a diffuse interest, whose protection through the amparo remedy requires the petitioner to demonstrate personal and direct harm to his fundamental rights.", "quote_es": "La protección del ambiente es un interés difuso, cuya tutela mediante el recurso de amparo exige que el recurrente acredite un perjuicio personal y directo sobre sus derechos fundamentales." }, { "context": "Sobre las medidas cautelares denegadas", "quote_en": "It was not proven that the property is located within a protected wild area, declared as such by the State, that would warrant an interim intervention by this Chamber.", "quote_es": "No se acreditó que el inmueble se encuentre dentro de un área silvestre protegida, declarada como tal por el Estado, que amerite una intervención cautelar de esta Sala." } ], "cites": [], "cited_by": [ { "id": "pgr-20186", "citation": "C-267-2017", "title_en": "Inadmissibility of Consultation on Works and Felling in Los Chorros Forest Park", "title_es": "Inadmisibilidad de consulta sobre obras y tala en parque forestal Los Chorros", "doc_type": "dictamen", "date": "14/11/2017", "year": "2017" }, { "id": "pgr-20307", "citation": "OJ-011-2018", "title_en": "Opinion on Parque Recreativo Los Chorros as State Natural Heritage and validity of Decree 40675-MINAE", "title_es": "Opinión sobre Parque Recreativo Los Chorros como Patrimonio Natural del Estado y validez del Decreto 40675-MINAE", "doc_type": "legal_opinion", "date": "24/01/2018", "year": "2018" } ], "references": { "internal": [ { "target_id": "nexus-sen-1-0007-1060612", "kind": "case_sentence", "label": "Ver texto del voto" }, { "target_id": "norm-41661", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley 7575" }, { "target_id": "norm-12648", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley 7317" }, { "target_id": "norm-83424", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Decreto 40043-MINAE" } ], "external": [] }, "source_url": "https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_asunto_const.aspx?nValor1=1¶m5=17-016246-0007-CO&strTipM=E", "tier": 2, "_editorial_citation_count": 1, "regulations_by_article": null, "cascade_only": false, 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