Managua’s garbage strife raising awareness of internal problems.
Mar 31st, 2008 by Jon Posted in Nicaragua News | No Comments
For the past two weeks in Managua, protesters have been blocking access to the massive garbage dump in the city called La Chureca. As a result of this, temporary garbage deposit sites have been set up around the city to alleviate the problem while municipal and federal politicians continue a standoff of their own.
Underscoring all of this is the severity of the poverty problem in Managua and in Nicaragua as a whole. Suddenly international media has become enraptured with the photos from La Chureca and much needed awareness is being generated as a result.
According to this Bloomberg article, “Almost 20 percent of the people who pick through trash at the 34-acre La Chureca dump are younger than 17, a study by the Nicaraguan group Two Generations found.”
Sadly, the reality of La Chureca is not isolated. Across Nicaragua similar garbage dumps can be found, like La Esperanza in Bluefields on the Atlantic coast. At La Esperanza, children dig through garbage as well looking for useful items or materials that can be sold as scrap to a recycler.
Source: AFP
I highly recommend reading this article this AFP article which portrays the humanity that exists inside La Chureca and what is at stake in the country. Hopefully this media attention will put increased pressure on politicians and diplomats to make a concerted effort to help and correct the problems in Nicaragua. In the meantime, countless NGOs continue their work on the ground and touching the lives of those in need.
