The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) appointed Carlos Alfonso Asturias Ortiz as director of the General Directorate of Roads (DGC) on Wednesday, July 24, who arrives days after the head of that department was dismissed for allegedly wanting to benefit a company with the award of the Palín – Escuintla highway.
Asturias Ortiz takes office in the midst of a crisis caused by the rains that have left at least 539 roads damaged -according to Conred-; however, one of the most urgent challenges will be to attend to the repair and opening of the Palín – Escuintla highway, which has been closed for more than 40 days due to a sinkhole.
The damage to this road is a cause for concern for the commercial sector, as the logistics cost of transporting goods has tripled in recent days due to the inability to operate it. In addition, other roads, such as National Route 14, are beginning to be damaged due to the overload represented by the passage of dozens of heavy transport vehicles.
In fact, Asturias Ortiz’s predecessor, Gilberto de Jesús Guerra, was dismissed on July 11 for allegedly attempting to benefit a company with the contract for repairing the section; however, he dismissed the authorities’ allegations and filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP).
According to a statement from the CIV, Asturias Ortiz has extensive professional experience in road, structural and hydraulic design, as well as in project management and renewable energy.
He added that “his career includes prominent roles in various organizations, demonstrating a solid commitment to integrity and professional ethics” and that he has been instructed “to make the coordination and expediting of the repair work on the Palín-Escuintla highway his top immediate priority.”
“This appointment marks a turning point in the transparent and efficient management of the construction and reconstruction of Guatemala’s road network under the zero tolerance policy towards corruption of President Bernardo Arévalo and Minister Félix Alvarado,” says the CIV statement.
On July 11, after the Congress of the Republic disapproved the state of calamity decreed by the Executive to address emergencies caused by the rains, President Bernardo Arévalo and the Minister of Communications, Félix Alvarado, revealed alleged irregularities within the CIV, where they intended to favor a company with the repair work on the Palín – Escuintla highway, which led to the dismissal of the former director of the DGC.
Alvarado explained that initially under the state of Calamity a contract was awarded for more than Q100 million for the repair of the Palín – Escuintla highway, but the event was cancelled early Thursday morning, because only one company offered for the total amount provided by the CIV, which generated doubts.
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