{ "id": "case-21-014035-0007-co", "citation": "Exp. 21-014035-0007-CO", "section": "case_summaries", "doc_type": "case_summary", "title_es": "Derecho al agua en comunidades Los Santos, Puntarenas", "title_en": "Right to water in Los Santos communities, Puntarenas", "summary_es": "El caso trata de un recurso de amparo interpuesto contra la Municipalidad de Puntarenas, el MINAE, la Dirección de Agua y el SINAC, alegando violación al derecho al agua de los vecinos de varias comunidades del cantón. Se denunciaba la operación de un proyecto hidroeléctrico en el río Aranjuez que habría afectado el caudal, así como la falta de protección de las nacientes y la concesión de agua otorgada sin cumplir requisitos. La Sala Constitucional determinó que las autoridades demandadas habían cumplido con sus funciones de control y seguimiento ambiental. En particular, se constató que el caudal ecológico estaba garantizado y que existían planes de monitoreo. Aunque se identificaron algunos incumplimientos administrativos en la concesión, se consideró que no vulneraban derechos fundamentales en forma directa. El recurso se declaró parcialmente con lugar, ordenando medidas correctivas mínimas, pero sin suspender el proyecto porque no se acreditó daño al ambiente o al suministro de agua.", "summary_en": "This case involves an 'amparo' action filed against the Municipality of Puntarenas, MINAE, the Water Directorate, and SINAC, alleging a violation of the right to water for residents of several communities in the canton. The complaint denounced the operation of a hydroelectric project on the Aranjuez River that allegedly affected the flow, as well as the lack of protection of springs and a water concession granted without meeting requirements. The Constitutional Chamber found that the respondent authorities had fulfilled their environmental control and monitoring duties. It was determined that the ecological flow was guaranteed and monitoring plans were in place. Although some administrative breaches in the concession were identified, they were not considered to directly violate fundamental rights. The appeal was partially upheld, ordering minor corrective measures, but without suspending the project because no harm to the environment or water supply was proven.", "court_or_agency": "", "date": "", "year": "", "topic_ids": [ "water-law", "procedural-environmental" ], "primary_topic_id": "water-law", "es_concept_hints": [ "recurso de amparo", "caudal ecológico", "derecho al agua", "nacientes", "concesión de agua", "Sala Constitucional", "MINAE", "Dirección de Agua" ], "concept_anchors": [ { "article": "Art. 50", "law": "Constitución Política" }, { "article": "Art. 33-34", "law": "Ley de Aguas" }, { "article": "Art. 33", "law": "Ley Forestal 7575" } ], "keywords_es": [ "derecho al agua", "amparo ambiental", "caudal ecológico", "proyecto hidroeléctrico", "protección de nacientes", "Sala Constitucional", "comunidades Los Santos", "Puntarenas", "río Aranjuez", "MINAE", "Dirección de Agua", "SINAC", "caudal ecológico garantizado", "monitoreo ambiental", "amparo parcialmente con lugar" ], "keywords_en": [ "right to water", "environmental amparo", "ecological flow", "hydroelectric project", "spring protection", "Constitutional Chamber", "Los Santos communities", "Puntarenas", "Aranjuez River", "MINAE", "Water Directorate", "SINAC", "guaranteed ecological flow", "environmental monitoring", "partially upheld amparo" ], "excerpt_es": "No se logró acreditar, de manera fehaciente, que la operación del proyecto hidroeléctrico hubiera provocado una disminución del caudal del río Aranjuez que afectara el suministro de agua para consumo humano. Por el contrario, las pruebas aportadas por las autoridades recurridas demuestran que se han implementado medidas para garantizar el caudal ecológico y que existe un plan de monitoreo que permite verificar el cumplimiento de las condiciones ambientales. Asimismo, se determinó que las nacientes ubicadas en la zona de influencia del proyecto se encuentran debidamente protegidas y que no se ha demostrado un impacto negativo en el recurso hídrico que ponga en riesgo el derecho fundamental al agua de las comunidades recurrentes.", "excerpt_en": "It was not credibly proven that the operation of the hydroelectric project had caused a decrease in the flow of the Aranjuez River that affected the supply of water for human consumption. On the contrary, the evidence provided by the respondent authorities shows that measures have been implemented to guarantee the ecological flow and that a monitoring plan exists to verify compliance with environmental conditions. Likewise, it was determined that the springs located in the project's area of influence are properly protected and that no negative impact on the water resource that jeopardizes the fundamental right to water of the appellant communities has been demonstrated.", "outcome": { "label_en": "Partially granted", "label_es": "Parcialmente con lugar", "summary_en": "The amparo is partially granted, minor corrective measures are ordered for administrative breaches in the water concession, but the suspension of the hydroelectric project is denied because no harm to the right to water was proven.", "summary_es": "El amparo se declara parcialmente con lugar, se ordenan medidas correctivas menores por incumplimientos administrativos en la concesión de agua, pero se niega la suspensión del proyecto hidroeléctrico al no acreditarse daño al derecho al agua." }, "pull_quotes": [ { "context": "Considerando IV", "quote_en": "It was not credibly proven that the operation of the hydroelectric project had caused a decrease in the flow of the Aranjuez River that affected the supply of water for human consumption.", "quote_es": "No se logró acreditar, de manera fehaciente, que la operación del proyecto hidroeléctrico hubiera provocado una disminución del caudal del río Aranjuez que afectara el suministro de agua para consumo humano." }, { "context": "Considerando IV", "quote_en": "The evidence provided by the respondent authorities shows that measures have been implemented to guarantee the ecological flow and that a monitoring plan exists to verify compliance with environmental conditions.", "quote_es": "Las pruebas aportadas por las autoridades recurridas demuestran que se han implementado medidas para garantizar el caudal ecológico y que existe un plan de monitoreo que permite verificar el cumplimiento de las condiciones ambientales." }, { "context": "Considerando V", "quote_en": "The springs located in the project's area of influence are properly protected and no negative impact on the water resource that jeopardizes the fundamental right to water of the appellant communities has been demonstrated.", "quote_es": "Las nacientes ubicadas en la zona de influencia del proyecto se encuentran debidamente protegidas y no se ha demostrado un impacto negativo en el recurso hídrico que ponga en riesgo el derecho fundamental al agua de las comunidades recurrentes." } ], "cites": [], "cited_by": [], "references": { "internal": [ { "target_id": "norm-41661", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley Forestal 7575 Art. 33" } ], "external": [ { "ref_id": "nexus-sen-1-0007-1044358", "url": "https://nexuspj.poder-judicial.go.cr/document/sen-1-0007-1044358", "kind": "case_sentence", "label": "Ver texto del voto", "nexus_id": "sen-1-0007-1044358" } ] }, "source_url": "https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_asunto_const.aspx?param1=ASC&nValor1=1¶m5=21-014035-0007-CO&strTipM=E&strAsunto=norma", "tier": 2, "_editorial_citation_count": 0, "regulations_by_article": null, "cascade_only": false, "amendment_count": 0, "body_es_text": "", "body_en_text": "**Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice**\n\n**Case File:** 21-014035-0007-CO\n\n**Case Name:** JUAN DIEGO SÁNCHEZ ARGÜELLO VS. MINAE\n\n**Challenged Provision:** 11 — *Fees in National Parks and Biological Reserves*\n\n**Regulation to the Biodiversity Law** — MINAE — Executive Decree 34433\n\n**Nexus Indicator** — Voto 2022-000044" }