‘We have not had and we have no interest in Tayrona Park’: Uribe

The former president, who stressed that as president he protected the park, said that he does not intervene in the appointment of officials in the government of Iván Duque.

In the midst of the controversy caused by the departure of Julia Miranda Londoño of the Directorate of National Parks –At the direct request of Carlos Correa, Minister of Environment of the Duque government -, this Thursday the leader of the ruling party, the former president Alvaro Uribe, who replied that his family had “no interest” in the Tayrona Park.

In context: Minister of the Environment calls for the resignation of Julia Miranda, director of National Parks

Further claiming that they do not have no type of intervention in the appointment of officials In the current administration, Uribe defended that as president he protected the park with ranger families or the installation of a military battalion. He even remembered that it was he who appointed Miranda to the position.

“In my family We have had or have no interest in Tayrona Park. As president I protected it with 700 forest ranger families, with support for them to have family hotels; with the construction of 9 indigenous peoples, agreed with their communities for environmental protection; with the installation of the High Mountain Battalion and the eviction of guerrillas and paramilitaries “, declared the former senator.

The controversy also arose after Uribe was confronted with a video posted on his Twitter account on social networks in May 2019, in which criticized that in National Parks obstacles were put for “tourism development and infrastructure”.

“It cannot be that President Duque says: ‘tourism is Colombia’s new oil’, and National Parks put all the obstacles that prevent development and tourist infrastructure in Tayrona Park, ” Uribe claimed.

Added to this were allegations that the outgoing director allegedly prevented a hotel project in the park and that supposedly would benefit the former senator.

Miranda, who is a lawyer specializing in environmental law, was in charge during her direction of the expansion of the National System of Protected Areas of Colombia.

Furthermore, between 2008 and 2014 it was Regional Coordinator of the Latin American Network of Technical Cooperation in National Parks, other Protected Areas, Wild Fauna and Flora.