Valledupar Temporarily Closes Hurtado Beach Area to Restore Guatapurí River

On 21 July, local authorities in Valledupar announced a temporary closure of the Hurtado balneario to recover the natural channel of the Guatapurí River and protect the ecosystem. Merchants were consulted, and many expressed support, noting that informal stalls had increasingly occupied the riverbank. The following day, vendors voluntarily began removing the 162 tents, 12 metal shelters, 67 shade structures, roughly 800 tables and over 4 000 chairs that had crowded the site.

Technical diagnostics identified constructions, fill material, wastewater discharges and unregulated activities that narrowed the river’s flow and threatened its balance. Proposed remedial actions include defining the riparian zone, re‑vegetating with native species, cleaning the area, erosion‑control works and stricter regulation of permissible activities within the protected zone.