Pinula River flooding and Pinula Bridge closure

Severe flooding caused by the Pinula River has triggered a crisis in San Miguel Petapa and the Villa Hermosa neighborhood. The rising waters have led to significant soil erosion, undermining infrastructure and causing the collapse of homes. In response to the rising river levels, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) issued calls for preventive self-evacuation, and a bridge connecting Villa Hermosa to Boca del Monte was closed due to advancing erosion.

Mynor Morales, the mayor of San Miguel Petapa, filed a legal injunction (amparo) with the Constitutional Court against President Bernardo Arévalo and various government ministries. The mayor is seeking economic compensation or relocation for families in high-risk sectors, attributing the increased river flow to construction licenses approved in neighboring municipalities. While local mitigation efforts have been ongoing since 2020, the scale of the damage has exceeded municipal financial capacities, and the mayor has faced protests from residents dissatisfied with the local government’s response.

Recent heavy rainfall has intensified the emergency, with new landslides appearing in the riverbed and significant undermining of the Pinula Bridge foundations. Following the Constitutional Court’s intervention, which ordered the central government to take urgent administrative, technical, and engineering measures to mitigate damages, authorities have implemented a total preventive closure of the Pinula Bridge in Villa Hermosa due to the imminent risk of collapse. To manage the disruption, local transit police and authorities have suggested alternative routes for commuters, including Hincapié, Santa Inés, and Avenida Petapa, while ongoing evaluations continue to monitor the stability of the infrastructure and surrounding residential areas.