{ "id": "nexus-ext-1-0034-115324", "citation": "", "section": "nexus_decisions", "doc_type": "court_decision", "title_es": "Sentencia sobre amparo ambiental por tala y ocupación en zona protectora", "title_en": "Judgment on environmental amparo for logging and occupation in a protected zone", "summary_es": "La Sala Constitucional conoció un recurso de amparo presentado por vecinos y organizaciones ambientalistas contra la tala de árboles, relleno de un humedal y construcción de una edificación comercial en un inmueble ubicado dentro de la Zona Protectora de los Cerros de Escazú, patrimonio natural del Estado. Los recurrentes alegaron la violación de sus derechos a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado, así como la omisión de las autoridades municipales y ambientales en ejercer sus deberes de control. La Sala analizó la naturaleza de las zonas protectoras como bienes de dominio público, inalienables e imprescriptibles, y la obligación estatal de garantizar su integridad. Constató que la Municipalidad de Escazú otorgó una patente comercial y permisos de construcción sin contar con la viabilidad ambiental de SETENA, contraviniendo la Ley Forestal y la Ley Orgánica del Ambiente. Asimismo, verificó que existía una orden de demolición y medidas cautelares del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo que no habían sido ejecutadas. La Sala declaró con lugar el recurso, ordenó la demolición de las obras, la restauración del terreno y la investigación de los funcionarios responsables, reafirmando la supremacía del interés público ambiental sobre los intereses particulares.", "summary_en": "The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by neighbors and environmental organizations against the felling of trees, filling of a wetland and construction of a commercial building on a property within the Escazú Hills Protected Zone, a state natural heritage site. The petitioners alleged violation of their rights to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, as well as the failure of municipal and environmental authorities to exercise their control duties. The Chamber analyzed the nature of protected zones as public domain assets, inalienable and imprescriptible, and the State's obligation to guarantee their integrity. It found that the Municipality of Escazú had granted a commercial license and construction permits without the required environmental viability from SETENA, contravening the Forestry Law and the Organic Environmental Law. It also verified that a demolition order and precautionary measures from the Environmental Administrative Tribunal had not been executed. The Chamber granted the appeal, ordered the demolition of the works, the restoration of the land and the investigation of the responsible officials, reaffirming the supremacy of the public environmental interest over private interests.", "court_or_agency": "", "date": "", "year": "", "topic_ids": [ "procedural-environmental", "forestry-law-7575" ], "primary_topic_id": "procedural-environmental", "es_concept_hints": [ "zona protectora", "patrimonio natural del Estado", "amparo ambiental", "viabilidad ambiental", "SETENA", "in dubio pro natura", "dominio público", "in alienabilidad" ], "concept_anchors": [ { "article": "Art. 33", "law": "Ley Forestal 7575" }, { "article": "Art. 34", "law": "Ley Forestal 7575" }, { "article": "Art. 17", "law": "Ley Orgánica del Ambiente 7554" }, { "article": "Art. 18", "law": "Ley Orgánica del Ambiente 7554" }, { "article": "Art. 75", "law": "Código Municipal" }, { "article": "Art. 158", "law": "Ley General de la Administración Pública" } ], "keywords_es": [ "zona protectora", "patrimonio natural del Estado", "tala ilegal", "humedal", "Municipalidad de Escazú", "viabilidad ambiental", "SETENA", "demolición", "restauración ambiental", "dominio público", "amparo ambiental", "Cerros de Escazú", "patente comercial", "interés público", "derecho a un ambiente sano", "Ley Forestal", "medidas cautelares", "Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo", "in dubio pro natura" ], "keywords_en": [ "protected zone", "state natural heritage", "illegal logging", "wetland", "Municipality of Escazú", "environmental viability", "SETENA", "demolition", "environmental restoration", "public domain", "environmental amparo", "Escazú Hills", "commercial license", "public interest", "right to a healthy environment", "Forestry Law", "precautionary measures", "Environmental Administrative Tribunal", "in dubio pro natura" ], "excerpt_es": "En el presente caso, la parte recurrente ha demostrado de manera fehaciente que las autoridades recurridas han omitido ejercer sus potestades de control y fiscalización en la Zona Protectora de los Cerros de Escazú, permitiendo la consolidación de una edificación comercial en un área que constituye patrimonio natural del Estado, con la consecuente afectación del bosque, los nacientes de agua y el equilibrio ecológico de la zona. La Sala ha sido enfática en señalar que las zonas protectoras, por su propia naturaleza jurídica, son bienes de dominio público y, como tales, inalienables e imprescriptibles, no susceptibles de apropiación privada. En consecuencia, cualquier acto administrativo que autorice usos del suelo incompatibles con la protección del recurso hídrico y la cobertura boscosa en estas áreas es absolutamente nulo, por contrariar el interés público y el derecho fundamental a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado.", "excerpt_en": "In the present case, the petitioners have convincingly demonstrated that the respondent authorities have failed to exercise their control and oversight powers in the Escazú Hills Protected Zone, allowing the consolidation of a commercial building in an area that constitutes State natural heritage, with the consequent impact on the forest, water springs and the ecological balance of the area. This Chamber has been emphatic in pointing out that protected zones, by their very legal nature, are public domain assets and, as such, inalienable and imprescriptible, not susceptible to private appropriation. Consequently, any administrative act authorizing land uses incompatible with the protection of water resources and forest cover in these areas is absolutely null and void, as it contravenes the public interest and the fundamental right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment.", "outcome": { "label_en": "Granted", "label_es": "Con lugar", "summary_en": "The Constitutional Chamber granted the amparo, ordered the demolition of the commercial building and the restoration of the land, and ordered the investigation of the municipal officials who authorized the work without environmental viability in the Escazú Hills Protected Zone.", "summary_es": "La Sala Constitucional declaró con lugar el recurso de amparo, ordenó la demolición de la edificación comercial y la restauración del terreno, y dispuso la investigación de los funcionarios municipales que autorizaron la obra sin viabilidad ambiental en la Zona Protectora de los Cerros de Escazú." }, "pull_quotes": [ { "context": "Considerando", "quote_en": "This Chamber has been emphatic in pointing out that protected zones, by their very legal nature, are public domain assets and, as such, inalienable and imprescriptible, not susceptible to private appropriation.", "quote_es": "La Sala ha sido enfática en señalar que las zonas protectoras, por su propia naturaleza jurídica, son bienes de dominio público y, como tales, inalienables e imprescriptibles, no susceptibles de apropiación privada." }, { "context": "Considerando", "quote_en": "In environmental matters, the public interest prevails over the private interest, and the administrative authorities have the obligation to exercise their control and oversight powers to guarantee the integrity of the State's natural heritage.", "quote_es": "En materia ambiental, el interés público prevalece sobre el interés particular, y las autoridades administrativas tienen la obligación de ejercer sus potestades de control y fiscalización para garantizar la integridad del patrimonio natural del Estado." }, { "context": "Por tanto", "quote_en": "The Municipality of Escazú, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal, is ordered to execute the demolition of the commercial building constructed without environmental viability and the restoration of the land to its natural state.", "quote_es": "Se ordena a la Municipalidad de Escazú, en coordinación con el Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía y el Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo, ejecutar la demolición de la edificación comercial construida sin viabilidad ambiental y la restauración del terreno a su estado natural." } ], "cites": [], "cited_by": [], "references": { "internal": [ { "target_id": "norm-41661", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley Forestal 7575 Art. 33" }, { "target_id": "norm-27738", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley Orgánica del Ambiente 7554 Art. 17" } ], "external": [] }, "source_url": "", "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": [ { "doc_id": "norm-26421", "norm_num": "7779", "norm_name": "Ley de Uso, Manejo y Conservación de Suelos", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "30/04/1998" }, { "doc_id": "norm-27738", "norm_num": "7554", "norm_name": "Ley Orgánica del Ambiente", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "04/10/1995" }, { "doc_id": "norm-39796", "norm_num": "7788", "norm_name": "Ley de Biodiversidad", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "30/04/1998" }, { "doc_id": "norm-41661", "norm_num": "7575", "norm_name": "Ley Forestal", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "13/02/1996" } ], "sentencias_relacionadas": [], "temas_y_subtemas": [], "cascade_only": false, "amendment_count": 0, "body_es_text": "", "body_en_text": "Error: The requested page at \"https://nexuspj.poder-judicial.go.cr/document/ext-1-0034-115324\" could not be accessed due to a CAPTCHA challenge. 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