A group of neighbors is concentrated next to the San Andrés school to demand another location for the service; La Huertecica hopes to open it next month
‘NIMBY’. This English acronym that responds to the expression ‘Not In My Back Yard’ -translated into Spanish as ‘not in my backyard’-, refers to the rejection generated in certain sectors of the population by the installation of certain activities in their immediate environment, which are perceived by the neighbors – rightly or wrongly – as necessary as well as dangerous or annoying. Conclusion: ‘better to put it next to someone else’.
This expression thus perfectly describes what is happening during these days in the traditional neighborhood of San Antolín, where, as LA VERDAD advanced, a group of residents are organizing against the installation of a center for care, detoxification and reintegration of people with drug addiction problems. This opposition movement took another step this Wednesday afternoon and jumped from neighborhood huddles, meetings and WhatsApp groups to the street. Thus, more than a hundred people, summoned by the neighborhood association and by the Ampas of the neighborhood schools, gathered in the Plaza Sardinero Ángel García Bañón to show their disagreement with the project, an action that they plan to repeat weekly
It is precisely at this point where the 800 square meter premises are located – still labeled with the symbol of the Spanish Association Against Cancer – where the NGO La Huertecica plans to locate the main base of operations in Murcia for its social projects. In principle, it will be starting next month, according to sources from the organization, when a new municipal project with European funds will be launched in the new facilities, on the one hand, which will provide night accommodation – as well as work for employability and insertion – 13 homeless people with problematic substance use, mental illness or chronic pathologies.
On the other hand, daytime services will be moved to the same place -including the distribution of methadone- that are provided to drug addicts and homeless people in the premises that La Huertecica already occupies on Calle Navarra, in the neighboring neighborhood of San Andrés. “After our complaints were made public last week, no one has contacted us to listen to our demands and that is why we have gone on to call this protest,” Antonio Ortiz, spokesman for the neighborhood association, told LA TRUTH on Wednesday.
“We hope that the situation calms down when we start to work and it is seen that it is positive,” they defend in the NGO
It may seem that, in an environment such as the bus station, the installation of this center represents for the residents «the straw that breaks the camel’s back, since it is an area that presents previous problems such as situations of exclusion, certain insecurity or the own dealing and drug use in the street, so much so that sometimes it seems like a powder keg about to explode, “says the neighborhood representative. But Ortiz points out that “no issue has recently mobilized the neighborhood as much as this one.” “We insist that the environment of a school such as San Andrés is not the best place to locate this activity, since it shows behaviors that are not exemplary for minors and we believe that it will have an effect called for undesirable elements”, he concluded.
“Intransigence”
For their part, from La Huertecica they reiterated this Wednesday that they hope that “the situation will calm down when we start to work and they see that these types of centers do not pose any problem, even though there are people willing to set the situation on fire.” These are the forecasts of Diego Cruzado, the main person in charge of this organization, who has been surprised by the “intransigence” shown by certain people. “We are willing to explain our projects to whomever and as many times as necessary,” he assured.
In fact, Cruzado is convinced that “initiatives like this help to stabilize the situation in troubled areas, since it helps to improve behavior in the environment.” He also defends that you only have to ask the people who live around Calle Navarra to realize this. “We cannot complain that we have drug addicts on the street causing problems and then not supporting reasonable solutions,” he settled.
“I have consumed, I come here looking for help and there are never any problems”
Life has not treated Mario well. At 47 years old, he lives on the street and is trying to give up once and for all base consumption, or what is the same, cocaine residues, mixed with other chemical substances that are usually smoked. «Here there are never any problems of any kind and the boys give us a great help: they give us something to eat, wash our clothes and let us take a shower; I wish I could have an adequate resource to sleep, in Santa Catalina I could only stay a week », he pointed out as he left the center of La Huertecica on Navarra street. “The truth is that this is a quiet multicultural area; I see users waiting at the door at 9 in the morning, but after that little else”, admits Marcelo, a resident of this area.
Thefts increase next to the bus station
“We find ourselves with a complicated triangle if we put together the school, the future detoxification center and the surroundings of the San Andrés bus station,” defended the spokesman for the San Antolín neighborhood association, Antonio Ortiz. He recalls that insecurity has grown in the surroundings of Bolos street since the summer, “after gangs of minors of North African origin broke into the area, who have been committing robberies.” “Three weeks ago they took my wife’s mobile from her hand and I know of another neighbor whose bag was yanked off.”
In fact, sources from the Government Delegation acknowledge “a slight increase in thefts in the area, especially scooters and hitches to steal mobile phones”, although they also stress that these are not violent criminal acts. Faced with this situation, the same sources indicate, “surveillance patrols have increased considerably, including those of plainclothes agents.” The head of the Central West District, Diego Avilés, explains that in the face of neighborhood complaints, he initiated contacts with the police forces and “the situation has been controlled.” Thus, at least, the numerous and “intimidating” groups of young people in the environment have been reduced, but crimes continue to occur.
“The problem is beginning to reproduce again,” defends Julio Ayala, owner of a business. “I have witnessed fights and robberies just 10 days ago and we glimpsed clashes with the gypsy families in the area,” said Flor, a neighbor. “I saw yesterday how they took a suitcase yesterday to the pull”, recounted another young woman.
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