The Annual Carnival Festivities in Limon Are Still Waiting for Permits to Go On.

For the second year in a row, Limón’s annual carnivals may not go on. The Minister of Health, María Luisa Ávila Agüero, has determined that the municipality’s waste removal facilities cannot handle the trash produced during the festivities, which is more than double the town’s usual waste. Eduardo Barboza Orias, mayor of the city of Limón, is determined that the carnivals will go on, and plans to present a second waste removal plan to the Ministry of Health.

On September 23, Ministry of Health authorities denied Limón a permit for the carnivals. At the time, they cited insufficient waste removal facilities and also reminded organizers that dengue and malaria affect the town. The Ministry of Health is most concerned with the pressing trash collection problem, since it is a preventable factor that affects public health.

Mayor Barboza voiced his concern over the matter — both for public health and the carnival’s suspension — but indicated that he respected and understood the ministry’s decision. Barboza did mention, however, that other festivals throughout Costa Rica had been granted permits, despite the presence of dengue in the host municipality.

Junior Allen Wilson, president of the Limón Fiestas Commission, was not so demure about the ministry’s decision. Allen stated that the carnivals are important to the region, and act as a conduit for stress relief. In addition, he voiced indignation at the decision, since neighboring Pococí and Matina cantons, which also suffer from dengue problems, were granted permits, and added that Limón city had seen a 90 percent drop in dengue cases this year.

In addition, the Commission president called for the Ministry of Health to not only identify problems, but to suggest solutions. “[They should] say where there are weaknesses to suggest corrective measures. At this point we’re on tenterhooks… why should they punish a town for a problem that its local government has, which was inherited, it’s [been going on] for eight or nine years. They’re punishing the pueblo… Limón downtown does not have malaria, but the fact that they treat cases in the provincial hospital is normal and logical because it is a regional hospital.”

For his part, Mayor Barboza says that he has been searching for better waste management options for over a year an a half, but has not yet found a better solution. “Unfortunately it is a municipal problem but it involves the State and other entities. If we had a place to throw our trash, we wouldn’t have this problem. We’re the municipality that pays the most for trash removal, they’ve charged us ¢400 million ($728,600) for it, and they haven’t charged that much to any other municipality… I don’t want them to give me preferential treatment, but I don’t understand how they gave authorization to other [cantons] to build a landfill in X place, and to us no.”

The problem is clearly much larger than Limón’s carnival festivals, though many party goers are still wondering if they should prepare for a good time beginning October 10. The short answer is to hold your breath: a similar situation happened last year, and was eventually resolved. Most likely, the party will go on this year, as well.

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Filed under: Nightlife on October 2nd, 2008