Global Courant
The ceiba, declared the national tree of Guatemala in 1955, is the nation’s natural and cultural heritage. This June 20, a specimen grows within the facilities of the Lucas Tomás Cojulún Official Urban School for Boys number 9, in zone 1 of the capital, in such a way that its roots destroy the infrastructure, including bathrooms and pipes, which It has caused the suspension of classes.
In addition, the floor of the recreation area has become uneven and this is a risk for the students.
According to the parents of the study center, for years this has represented a great danger for the students, as well as for the staff and the neighbors.
Polo Jiménez, father of a family, points out that he fears that the ceiba tree will fall on the school facilities, due to a plague that progressively deteriorates the plant.
“The roots have raised the pavement, they have knocked down the walls of the children’s toilets and another construction was made to avoid the danger, but there is still damage, since the root has a kind of plague that is deteriorating it, so that at some point the tree could be felled completely”, assures the father of the family.
On the other hand, Ivonne Flores, the mother of the family, shows concern about the supply of drinking water inside the school, since she says that the ceiba tree has burst some pipes.
“It has already affected drinking water for a couple of years because it burst pipes. Classes have been suspended because there has been no water for years due to the situation of the ceiba tree”, indicates the mother of the family.
During the rainy season, the risk increases. Luis Rodríguez, a neighbor of this school, assures that the branches fall hard on the roof. In addition, the leaves cover the gutters and humidity invades the walls.
“One of the things that worries the most is that large branches have already fallen. On one occasion, they caused damage to the structure of the sheet. We are concerned that at some point a branch large enough to fall that could damage the rooms and the people who live in them”, explains Rodríguez.
Fearing that the problem will grow, parents and neighbors ask the competent authorities to take action on the matter.
Parents of a school in zone 1 have expressed concern due to a ceiba tree that has destroyed part of the infrastructure. (Free Press Photo: Elmer Vargas) The growth of the ceiba tree has caused damage to the school’s infrastructure, such as the walls, bathrooms, and sheets. (Free Press Photo: Elmer Vargas) A ceiba tree has been a cause of concern for parents, teachers and neighbors of a school in zone 1. (Free Press Photo: Elmer Vargas) Another problem reported by parents is a plague that slowly deteriorates the ceiba, which could cause it to fall in the future. (Free Press Photo: Elmer Vargas) The damage to the infrastructure, bathrooms and pipes have caused classes to be suspended. (Free Press Photo: Elmer Vargas)
Position
Faced with the problem of the educational center, the Ministry of Culture and Sports gave its position regarding the actions carried out within the establishment.
According to the ministry, in November 2022, the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets (Decorbic), of the Technical Directorate of the Institute of Anthropology and History (IDAEH), went to the place to carry out a field visit and, later, to make environmental assessments.
“The Decorbic recommends that the corresponding interventions be made to the property, which has been affected by the growth of the ceiba, and corrective intervention measures to the ceiba, not to cut it but to improve its shape, by the specialists of the Council National Protected Areas (Conap), governing body in this matter, “explains the ministry.
He also adds that the work carried out both in the property and with the ceiba be “socialized with the community.”
“That is, the neighbors to indicate how the corrective maintenance of the ceiba will be carried out, as well as the restoration work on the property,” says the ministry.
