One of the plans that tourists bet on the most today are those in which they have contact with the environment, they are usually outdoors and with some adrenaline.

Among the favorite destinations to make them is Villa de Leyva (Boyacá) in the middle of the La Candelaria desert next to the famous Pozos Azules, cataloged by many as a natural wonder that concentrates water with sodium that gives the liquid its exclusive tone.There are other even stranger wells that contain a high concentration of iron, which gives it its reddish color.Seeing them up close becomes a spectacle.Around this area there is little vegetation, which is why its eroded ecosystem has special protection.These attractions are inside private farms, entering to see them has an average cost of $12,000. All Terrain Van

But to make the plan more complete, the tourist activities offices decided to set up tours in ATVs and buggies, they charge between $50,000 and $80,000.It is estimated that a festive bridge more or less 1500 tourists pay for the tour.Around 350 vehicles provide the service for more than eight continuous hours.The Sopotá village, where the three farms that allow the entry of ATVs are located, are dusted literally every weekend.Generating an irreversible impact on the ground, if satellite and drone images that were taken before the pandemic are compared with the current ones, the mark of neglect left by predatory tires is evident.According to the Land Management Plan (POT) this land use does not even allow agricultural activities to avoid injuries.

So, how is it explained that, from the Mayor's Office of Villa de Leyva, they authorized ATVs to operate there?

SEMANA spoke with Javier Castellanos, the head of the municipality and said that they never gave the endorsement for this to happen.However, this medium has in its possession a document dated November 2021 in which it verbatim says: "It has been determined to provisionally grant or allow the use of the property to develop the activity of renting ATVs and buguuis, taking into account that the The results of the visits made gave us a high percentage of compliance with respect to the aspects observed by each of the agencies in charge of their verification, monitoring and control”, is signed by José Danilo Guzmán, Secretary of the Municipal Government.

When pointing out the existence of the document, the mayor recalled that permission was given, but provisionally.This would have happened after the visits that they made, including the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Boyacá (Corpoboyacá), to the land on November 4, although this version does not coincide with the information provided by Corpoboyacá, stating that it was not possible to carry out the inspection that day. but a week later.So, how true is the information they are providing from the study? asks the dissatisfied population.

Castellanos clarifies that with all the controversy that has occurred and after the noise pollution and other affectations have been evidenced, tourism companies are warned that they no longer have permits, announcements that in practice are unsuccessful, since they continue to operate ."I would be the happiest man if they sealed those places, because it takes away a headache, but that is a task that corresponds to Corpoboyacá," said the local president.For his part, Antonio Munevar, spokesman for the ATVs, tells him that it will not be so easy because they pay taxes and everything legally like any other vehicle, "to keep us safe, he and no one else can affect the right to work that supports approximately 500 people in the region.”He points out that if they close that space they will go back to the tertiary roads to work.

Satellite images in 2017, before the ATVs:

For its part, Corpoboyacá says that it has taken some steps to put a stop to the problem.The Environmental Attorney's Office also has a magnifying glass on, but apparently no one has teeth or does not want to bite the hot potato into which what many see as fun is becoming, but which ends up being an environmental and social tragedy that is hidden in the apparent calm of Villa de Leyva.

Before the pandemic, ATVs traveled through tertiary roads, generating multiple accidents.That is why the administration did not see a problem in moving on private land, without taking into account the impact on the land.

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