The coast of “La Restinga” lagoon, on Margarita Island, is the longest beach in Venezuela with a length of 27 kilometers.
Correspondent lapatilla.1eye.us
Its attractions are myriad, but the failures in water, electricity and sewage services have become the perfect alchemy for the decline of tourist activity in recent years.
Ascensión González is one of the members of the La Restinga Oyster Association. She sets out in a small boat under the strong sun, making her way through this coastal wetland of some 18,700 hectares in size.
She says that the journey can take an hour to reach the “El Indio” pier in the La Restinga National Park.
In the lagoon of the same name, they look for the ideal roots of the mangrove to begin the extraction of this bivalve mollusk, whose commercialization has allowed them to sustain their families in this town in the Tubores municipality where less than 400 people live.
This activity has had its ups and downs due to the abandonment by tourists and, consequently, they now survive with the little that the National Government provides them through the Patria System.
Others go out to search for oysters and bring the catch to the pier where sometimes they return from without having sold the mollusks.
Tourism in decline
Added to this is the crisis of basic services to receive to tourists as they deserve.
“Tourism has decreased significantly, with few visitors, and fishermen face difficulties with fuel to be able to fish,” warned the oyster farmer.
She insisted that the population faces serious problems with basic services, especially with electricity that is cut off several times a week, while access to water, which, although it arrives through pipe mains, is very irregular.
Despite the shortage of drinking water, the sewers have collapsed and that makes them a breeding ground for diseases, especially skin diseases.
“What tourists would want to come here in the conditions that this town is in?” exclaimed González.
The provision of food depends on occasional purchases, sometimes in Boca del Río, and on other occasions they receive help with food baskets sent by Governor Morel Rodríguez.
The quality of life is perceived as low by the majority of the inhabitants of this coastal town.
Misión Vivienda houses are of poor build quality
Luis Daniel Salazar González says that the situation in his community is very difficult, mainly due to problems with water and electricity.
He stressed that they have been without water for several days and that the houses, inhabited by more than 400 people, are in poor condition and have roofs in terrible condition.
María Gregoria Vicent lives in precarious conditions in a house assigned by the “Misión Vivienda”, a central government program.
She reported that she is facing serious problems due to the constant deterioration of the structure of her home caused buil caused by the poor build quality.
Her house is in poor condition and suffers damage from the rain, which forces her to seek shelter in other people’s houses.
“I live with five people and I face economic difficulties, because my job as an oyster seller barely allows us to survive,” she said.
Although she has asked government agencies for help, she has not received a response, so she feels alone and helpless.
“If only the Ministry of Tourism would pay a little attention to La Restinga beach, things would be different and our economic situation would be different,” she said.