The color of the water in Cateura Lagoon changes according to the paint discarded by the Ñamopu'ã Paraguay factory, located a few meters away. The complaint is made by resident Armando Vera, on behalf of the neighbors of the Santa Librada neighborhood, who are tired of seeing their requests ignored by both the Asunción City Hall and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Mades).
Vera stated that those responsible for the company usually receive visits from inspectors from these institutions after complaints, but the situation repeats soon after. “They really don't care, because it's routine for them that if they come to inspect, they simply give an envelope to the controllers and everything comes to nothing. They are not afraid and will continue doing it because there is no sanction, no strict control by the municipal authorities and especially Mades,” the resident declared.
In addition to the factory, waste from the Cateura landfill also contributes to the pollution of the site, which should be a recreational area for the community. “The truth is that it is constant, unfortunately the municipality does nothing. This is a very beautiful lagoon that could be improved, cleaned; there is also a landfill a little further on that dumps garbage, plastic waste, which stays on the edge of the lagoon,” Vera added.
The contamination also affects residents who fish in the lagoon, where they increasingly find dead fish, which they themselves remove. The situation persists despite repeated complaints to the competent authorities, which have so far not resulted in concrete actions.