A Promised Bridge That Seems To Continue As a Promise

By Nelson Peñaherrera Castillo I will remember 20 years next September since I arrived for the very first time to Malingas Community (Tambogrande, Peru). As I ever say, the first picture receiving to me was that typical one you draw when your teacher asks you to represent the countryside: blue sky, hills, trees, and a river. As the Rousseau-inspired rural imaginery of our childhood was ever there, and, of course, I was wondered about the width of San Francisco Creek’s course. Effectively that in September, when here we migrate from the Winter to the Spring, the amount of running water is almost irrelevant – just 16 feet width, almost 2 feet depth. The van in malfunction process that transported me that time could pass over with certain care but not a major difficulty. However, the prints of how big it could be were there, bared-eye, both banks. And I became to prove it the next Summer when the rains started to fall and the van was not possible to cross it over, and we got to use the human chain, then the cart over some tables were set like seats, and even the truck wheel balloon over that also some tables were set like a boat, and the flow advancing beneath, strong, blurry, massive. The same question repeated during the shortage periods as well as the overflow periods – why not is a bridge built over San Francisco Creek? For sure, that even sounds sketchy to see how the local people engines one with trunks and mud, but the work lasts what the flow allows. Then, whywas an everlasting work never proposed? Malingas is located almost in the middle of Tambogrande and Chulucanas Cities, going from the northwest to the southeast, and adding to the people transportation whatever, the zone is agriculturally productive and the mango is one of its major crops. The campaign of tthis fruit includes the whole Spring and the half of the Summer, this means until mid-February. But if it starts to rain before, it has to be interrupted and the whole production has to lose whether it is impossible to transport, or because the rain begins to damage it. When FACTORTIERRA.NET worked The Malingas Initiative between 2009 and 2011, the bridge issue jumped up again, and the Development Committee of Malingas Zone –because the mayor did not have any initiative- sent letters again and again to any government office they could reach, at least to try a technical brochure, but nothing. It was said when the road between Tambogrande and Chulucanas was asphalted almost a decade ago, however the project never included a bridge, and we talk about a creek that can oversize until 1400 feet width and 20 feet depth, just guessing. San Francisco’s is a natural spillway of San Lorenzo Dam, located in Las Lomas District, and feeds with little flows and agricultural drains, plus the own rainwater those end to turn the pacific flow into a colossal punch leading in Piura River, and that explains why it overfed suddenly during 2017 El Niño to flood part of Tambogrande, Piura, and Castilla Cities and the Lower Piura Valley ultimately. Yes, people – simple Geography of Piura’s Coast. Let’s continue. The Municipality of Malingas Town as well as the Municipality of Tambogrande District, which Malingas depends politically of, coincide that the construction of the bridge on San Francisco’s is a priority not temporary but permanent. And this is not the only critical point of the Tambogrande-Chulucanas Road. Leaving out the first city is Carneros Creek, another little water flow that grows as much as San Francisco’s when it rains, and it’s the first blockade point on that way affecting directly the zones of Curván, Hualtaco III, and La Pala. Following up that way, another critical point is Socarrón Creek where a speed bump survives protected by a reedbed, but if interrupted, it can isolate Las Mónicas Sector and the entrance to Palominos Sector. Then, we arrive to San Francisco’s where the major problem is. If we get to cross over, leaving Malingas, the trouble begins in Paccha where Sáncor River fflows down, and Sol-Sol Creek more to the south is infamous because it kills people every highly rainy Summer. By the way, the road from Yapatera to Chulucanas also has a little creek that means a warning. Plus, we have to reinforce the southern gate of that last city at Ñácara Bridge toward Fernando Belaúnde Terry Highway that connects Paita City to the Peruvian Jungle. And why? I insist because it is about a highly productive zone in terms of agriculture, agriexporting, and agri-industry. Also, it is an alternative route and a shortcut for example between Ayabaca and Huancabamba, or between Sullana and the Peruvian Jungle, and even between Ecuador and Brazil. That is the level we are talking about. In consequence, Peru’s Presidency of Ministers Council or the Ministry of Transportation and Communications at least, San Francisco Creek is going to overload again and again every Summer raining more than usual. And it is goin to interrupt again and again a highly productive zone. Favoring the connectivity or condemning almost 20000 people directly involved to repeat the same claim every year, or risking their lives at the point of losing? More than a promise, they right have the skill to improve the life quality of those people. [Opine on your social media by using the #NelsonOpEd hashtag