{ "id": "case-16-005486-0007-co", "citation": "Exp. 16-005486-0007-CO", "section": "case_summaries", "doc_type": "case_summary", "title_es": "Improcedencia de amparo por cambio de uso de suelo en terreno de bosque sin acto lesivo concreto", "title_en": "Amparo dismissed for lack of concrete injurious act in forest land-use change claim", "summary_es": "La Sala Constitucional rechazó por el fondo un recurso de amparo contra el Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (MINAE) por alegada omisión en la protección de un terreno con cobertura boscosa en San Carlos. La parte recurrente, propietaria de una finca colindante, argumentó que el MINAE toleró tala y cambio de uso del suelo en una propiedad vecina a pesar de que el plan regulador cantonal la clasifica como zona de protección de recursos naturales. La Sala determinó que no se acreditó un acto lesivo concreto atribuible al MINAE (acción u omisión verificable), pues el recurrente solo aportó fotos de la propiedad y el plan regulador, sin demostrar que el MINAE hubiera autorizado o tolerado actividades ilegales. Además, la consulta a la municipalidad de San Carlos reveló que no existían denuncias ni permisos de construcción o aprovechamiento forestal para esa finca. La Sala concluyó que el amparo no puede basarse en meras conjeturas o temores de daño ambiental futuro, por lo que declaró sin lugar el recurso. La decisión subraya la necesidad de probar un acto u omisión concreta de la administración para que prospere un amparo ambiental, diferenciando la legitimación difusa en materia ambiental de la carga probatoria mínima exigible.", "summary_en": "The Constitutional Chamber dismissed on the merits an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for an alleged failure to protect a forested property in San Carlos. The petitioner, owner of an adjoining farm, claimed that MINAE tolerated logging and land-use change on a neighboring property despite its classification under the cantonal regulatory plan as a natural-resource protection zone. The Chamber held that no concrete injurious act attributable to MINAE (a verifiable action or omission) was proven, since the petitioner only submitted photos of the property and the regulatory plan, without showing that MINAE had authorized or tolerated illegal activities. Moreover, a consultation with the municipality of San Carlos revealed no complaints or permits for construction or forest harvesting on that farm. The Chamber concluded that an amparo cannot be based on mere conjecture or fear of future environmental harm, and therefore dismissed the action. The decision emphasizes the need to prove a concrete administrative act or omission for an environmental amparo to succeed, distinguishing the diffuse standing in environmental matters from the minimum evidentiary burden required.", "court_or_agency": "", "date": "", "year": "", "topic_ids": [ "procedural-environmental", "forestry-law-7575" ], "primary_topic_id": null, "es_concept_hints": [ "amparo ambiental", "cambio de uso del suelo", "bosque", "MINAE", "plan regulador", "legitimación difusa", "carga probatoria", "acto lesivo concreto" ], "concept_anchors": [], "keywords_es": [ "amparo ambiental", "cambio de uso del suelo", "bosque", "MINAE", "plan regulador", "San Carlos", "legitimación difusa", "carga probatoria", "daño ambiental", "tala", "aprovechamiento forestal", "acto lesivo" ], "keywords_en": [ "environmental amparo", "land-use change", "forest", "MINAE", "regulatory plan", "San Carlos", "diffuse standing", "burden of proof", "environmental harm", "logging", "forest harvesting", "injurious act" ], "excerpt_es": "En el presente caso, el recurrente no acreditó la existencia de un acto lesivo concreto, una acción positiva u omisión atribuible al MINAE que lesione o amenace sus derechos fundamentales o los de la colectividad. Únicamente acompañó su recurso con fotografías y el plan regulador de San Carlos, insuficientes para demostrar que el MINAE hubiera tolerado o autorizado tala o cambio de uso del suelo en la propiedad vecina. La consulta realizada a la Municipalidad de San Carlos reveló que no constaban denuncias ni permisos constructivos o de aprovechamiento forestal para ese inmueble. En tales condiciones, el recurso se basa en simples conjeturas o temores de un daño ambiental futuro, razón por la cual debe ser desestimado.", "excerpt_en": "In the present case, the petitioner did not prove the existence of a concrete injurious act, a positive action or omission attributable to MINAE that harms or threatens his fundamental rights or those of the community. He only accompanied his action with photographs and the San Carlos regulatory plan, insufficient to demonstrate that MINAE had tolerated or authorized logging or land-use change on the neighboring property. The consultation made to the Municipality of San Carlos revealed that there were no complaints or construction or forest harvesting permits for that property. Under such conditions, the action is based on mere conjectures or fears of future environmental harm, and must therefore be dismissed.", "outcome": { "label_en": "Dismissed", "label_es": "Sin lugar", "summary_en": "The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action because no concrete injurious act by MINAE was proven, as the action relied on mere conjecture.", "summary_es": "La Sala Constitucional declaró sin lugar el recurso de amparo por no acreditarse un acto lesivo concreto del MINAE, basándose el recurso en meras conjeturas." }, "pull_quotes": [ { "context": "Considerando sobre la falta de acto lesivo concreto", "quote_en": "The amparo action cannot be based on simple conjectures or fears that environmental harm may occur in the future.", "quote_es": "El recurso de amparo no puede fundarse en simples conjeturas o temores de que en el futuro pudiera producirse un daño ambiental." }, { "context": "Considerando sobre la carga probatoria en amparo ambiental", "quote_en": "Diffuse standing alone is not enough for an environmental amparo to succeed; it is necessary to prove, at least summarily, the existence of a concrete act or omission by the administration that threatens or harms the right to a healthy environment.", "quote_es": "No basta la legitimación difusa para que prospere un amparo ambiental; es necesario acreditar, al menos sumariamente, la existencia de un acto u omisión concreta de la administración que amenace o lesione el derecho a un ambiente sano." } ], "cites": [], "cited_by": [], "references": { "internal": [ { "target_id": "nexus-sen-1-0007-875804", "kind": "case_sentence", "label": "Ver texto del voto" } ], "external": [] }, "source_url": "https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_asunto_const.aspx?nValor1=1¶m5=16-005486-0007-CO&strTipM=E", "tier": 2, "_editorial_citation_count": 0, "regulations_by_article": null, "amendments_by_article": null, "dictamen_by_article": null, "concordancias_by_article": null, "afectaciones_by_article": null, "resoluciones_by_article": null, "cited_by_votos": [], "cited_norms": [], "cited_norms_inverted": [], "sentencias_relacionadas": [], "temas_y_subtemas": [], "cascade_only": false, "amendment_count": 0, "body_es_text": "", "body_en_text": "{\n \"page_type\": \"asu_case_summary\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_asunto_const.aspx?nValor1=1¶m5=16-005486-0007-CO&strTipM=E\",\n \"expediente\": \"16-005486-0007-CO\",\n \"nexus_links\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"nexus_document\",\n \"label\": \"See voting text\",\n \"url\": \"https://nexuspj.poder-judicial.go.cr/document/sen-1-0007-875804\"\n }\n ],\n \"related_cases\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"constitutional_case_summary\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_asunto_const.aspx?param1=ASC&nValor1=1¶m5=16-005486-0007-CO&strTipM=E\",\n \"label\": \"File\",\n \"expediente\": \"16-005486-0007-CO\"\n }\n ],\n \"links\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"http://www.pgr.go.cr\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr:443/scij/avanzada_pgr.aspx\",\n \"label\": \"HOME\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/main.aspx\",\n \"label\": \"PGR SINALEVI\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"nexus_link\",\n \"url\": \"https://nexuspj.poder-judicial.go.cr/\",\n \"label\": \"JUDICIAL BRANCH\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"hacienda_jurisprudencia\",\n \"url\": \"https://scij.hacienda.go.cr/SCIJ_MHDA/default.aspx\",\n \"label\": \"TREASURY\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"corte_idh\",\n \"url\": \"http://www.corteidh.or.cr/index.php/es\",\n \"label\": \"IACHR COURT\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/actas_constituyente.aspx\",\n \"label\": \"CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY RECORDS\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/ayuda_pgr.aspx\",\n \"label\": \"HELP\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/mapa_sitio.aspx\",\n \"label\": \"SITE MAP\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr:443/scij/avanzada_pgr.aspx\",\n \"label\": \"Advanced Search Menu\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"constitutional_case_summary\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_asunto_const.aspx?param1=ASC&nValor1=1¶m5=16-005486-0007-CO&strTipM=E\",\n \"label\": \"File\",\n \"expediente\": \"16-005486-0007-CO\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_normas_cuestionadas.aspx?param1=ASN&nValor1=1¶m5=16-005486-0007-CO&strTipM=NC\",\n \"label\": \"Norms challenged\",\n \"expediente\": \"16-005486-0007-CO\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_informe_pgr.aspx?ContInforme=0¶m1=AIP&nValor1=1¶m5=16-005486-0007-CO¶mInf=1&strTipM=IP1\",\n \"label\": \"PGR Report 1\",\n \"expediente\": \"16-005486-0007-CO\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"pgr_scij\",\n \"url\": \"https://pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/asunto_cons/asu_normas_afec.aspx?param1=ANA&nValor1=1¶m7=875804¶m5=16-005486-0007-CO¶m6=1&strTipM=NF1\",\n \"label\": \"Affected regulations\",\n \"expediente\": \"16-005486-0007-CO\"\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"nexus_link\",\n \"url\": \"https://nexuspj.poder-judicial.go.cr/document/sen-1-0007-875804\",\n \"label\": \"See voting text\"\n }\n ],\n \"next_actions\": [\n \"NEXUS LINKS: These are court documents in Poder Judicial system\",\n \"Use scrape-nexus.py to fetch nexus_document URLs\",\n \"Related cases may cite the same laws - follow for complete picture\"\n ]\n}" }