Residents of western Godoy Cruz told Aconcagua Radio how they built their own green space.

A land use dispute has raised alarm in the western part of Godoy Cruz . The Arausal, Las Dalias, Esperanza 3, Esperanza 4, and Arrayanes 2 neighborhoods, which lack green spaces , have joined forces to self-manage the creation of a plaza on land that, they claim, the Provincial Housing Institute ( IPV ) donated to the municipality for recreational use, but which the municipality is now seeking to use for the construction of a neighborhood.

Jonatan Poggi , president of the Association of Federated Independent Entities (ADEIF), spoke with our media and expressed the residents ' frustration. "On Friday, I submitted the first notice of this year requesting the recreational sports center again," Poggi explained. It was then, upon checking the status of previous files, that they were surprised: "It appears that the IPV donated the land to the municipality for the exclusive use of a recreational center. But later in the file, it appears that the municipality wants to occupy that land to build a neighborhood that would be part of a settlement here in the area."

According to Poggi, the municipal justification is that the land originally planned for the settlement is unsuitable. However, the residents are staunchly opposed to this change. "The excuse is that the land where they wanted to build this neighborhood is unsuitable. So, the municipality offered this land donated by the IPV," stated the president of ADEIF, adding that "obviously they don't want a neighborhood [that] comes from outside, that isn't part of us, especially in the place where we've been living for many years [and] are fighting for a place for children, for older people."

The situation has led the residents to take matters into their own hands. Last Saturday, at a meeting, they decided to begin work on the land themselves. "Starting the day after, which was last Sunday, we were going to start working on that spot," Poggi explained. And the action was immediate: "At least a soccer field has been built, the area has been cleaned, raked, watered, and the goals have been put in." The goal is ambitious: "The idea is to create a plaza with our resources, because none of us are wealthy, so we can help with what we can." They even have a name for the new space: "The plaza already has a name."

Despite the effort and dedication, the fear of a possible demolition by municipal authorities lingers. However, for the residents, the risk of losing the land to a third-party developer is even greater. "The fear is always there, but the fear of the new neighborhood they want to build is greater than the fear of demolishing the plaza we're building," Poggi said.

The invitation to Mayor Costarelli is straightforward. "We've even requested Mayor Costarelli's presidency because he likes to campaign politically, he likes to go to neighborhoods, film himself, and edit videos when there are criticisms. Well, we invite him to come and see how we're working and that he finally deigns to build the plaza," Poggi said, emphasizing that what they're asking for is "much bigger" than just a plaza.

The voices of the residents add to a widespread outcry in the area. A listener, identified as Nicolás, sent a message to the radio station that summarizes the feelings of many: "The land was donated for green spaces, not for neighborhood politics. Western Mendoza is abandoned." Poggi agrees, listing a series of shortcomings in municipal management: "The trees haven't been pruned for many years, and there hasn't been a paving plan for years. The water issue is a disaster... the craters there are like the surface of the moon."

Despite the adversities and lack of official support, the community of western Godoy Cruz demonstrates a remarkable capacity for self-management and resilience. "We don't depend on anyone, that's what we mean. We ask for help, no one helps us, okay, fine, we'll do it with what we have. It's the same with the plaza," Poggi stated, making it clear that they will not stop in their goal of achieving a decent space for their families.

Listen to the full article here, and you can listen to the radio live at www.aconcaguaradio.com .