A crime at the Olympic Center: Foundation denounces massive felling of trees

Santo Domingo.– The Wiche García Saleta Foundation denounced this Wednesday what it called the largest logging ever recorded in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, while expressing its deep concern about the environmental impact and the way in which the works are being carried out without apparent transparency or technical justification. Through a statement, the entity regretted that authorities linked to the administration and protection of the sports complex are the ones who have allowed the dismantling of extensive wooded areas, leaving parts of the park practically deserted.

You may be interested in: Eye-catching chairs appear in the Olympic Center

“In a park like this, it is understandable to replace diseased trees with new ones, but eliminating entire areas of mature vegetation is almost irreversible damage. Restoring such an area can take more than 20 years,” warns the Foundation, which also shared photographs showing the level of affectation in the place.

The complaint arises amid rumors of expansion work in preparation for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games. However, the Foundation questions that no technical or environmental report has been presented to support the logging, and demanded a copy of the corresponding environmental permit, as well as the technical-forestry criteria used to justify the intervention. “Most of the felled trees were not sick and many reached heights of between 10 and 20 meters,” they pointed out, after warning that the cuts are being carried out in an accelerated manner and without proper environmental supervision.

The organization, named after the original project’s proponent of the Olympic Center, called on President Luis Abinader to immediately stop the logging and order an investigation into what happened. “We carry in our blood the effort and sacrifice of those who made this park possible. Fifty years later, it is not fair that we have to fight to prevent its destruction,” concludes the statement.