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Res. 02632-2026 Sala Constitucional · Sala Constitucional · 23/01/2026
OutcomeResultado
The Constitutional Chamber denied the amparo, finding no causal link between CONAVI's drainage works and the alleged damages, and ruling out any violation of fundamental rights.La Sala Constitucional declaró sin lugar el amparo al no demostrarse nexo causal entre las obras de cuneteo del CONAVI y los daños alegados, y al descartarse violación a derechos fundamentales.
SummaryResumen
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed by a landowner in Mora Canton who alleged that drainage works (cuneteo) carried out by CONAVI on National Route 239 in 2012 redirected stormwater into the Bajo Clara stream, increasing its flow and causing flooding, erosion, and risk of housing collapse. He also complained of unauthorized entry by municipal police onto his property in October 2025. Based on technical reports from CONAVI, the Municipality of Mora, and the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the Court found no causal link between the road works and the claimed damages: the drains discharge into natural drainage points determined by topography; soil saturation and erosion occurred on private property unrelated to the national road intervention; and retaining walls built by neighbors without permits or respect for legal setbacks worsened conditions. CNE ruled out direct erosion exposure of the petitioner's dwelling. Regarding the police entry, the Court noted the petitioner could resort to appropriate legal channels. Justice Salazar Alvarado added a reasoned note on his exception for administrative inaction that endangers fundamental rights.La Sala Constitucional declaró sin lugar el recurso de amparo presentado por un propietario en el Cantón de Mora, quien alegaba que trabajos de cuneteo realizados por el CONAVI en la Ruta Nacional 239 en 2012 redireccionaron aguas pluviales hacia la Quebrada Bajo Clara, incrementando su caudal y causando inundaciones, erosión y riesgo de colapso de viviendas. También reclamó el ingreso sin permiso de la policía municipal a su propiedad en octubre de 2025. La Sala, con base en informes técnicos del CONAVI, la Municipalidad de Mora y la CNE, determinó que no existía nexo causal entre las obras viales y los daños alegados: las cunetas descargan en puntos de desagüe natural determinados por la topografía, la erosión y saturación de suelos ocurrían en propiedad privada sin relación con la intervención nacional, y los muros de contención construidos por vecinos sin permisos ni respeto a los retiros de ley agravaban la situación. La CNE descartó exposición directa de la vivienda del amparado por erosión. En cuanto al ingreso policial, se indicó que el interesado podía acudir a las vías legales pertinentes. El magistrado Salazar Alvarado añadió nota razonada sobre su excepción en casos de inactividad administrativa que pongan en peligro derechos fundamentales.
Key excerptExtracto clave
Based on these elements, with respect to the works carried out by CONAVI in 2012 on the drains of [Route 239], that body rejected any link between such works and the problem reported by the petitioner, stating that “The drains of RN-239 discharge into natural drainage points, determined by the topography…”. Similarly, the Municipality of Mora stated: “…the waters are directed to a water body identified as such in the records of the National Territorial Information System (SNIT) and in the public viewer of the National Information System for Water Resource Management (SINIGIRH) of the Water Department of MINAE; they cross private lots and a road that is not part of this Municipality's Cantonal Road Network. The foregoing is supported by Public Roads Law No. 5060, Article 20, which states that 'all holders of real estate, by whatever title, are obliged to receive and allow stormwater from the roads to flow within their properties when determined by the terrain's slope, and when their properties are adjacent to road drains, they must keep these drains clean, in perfect working condition, and free of obstructions…'.” In summary, no link is demonstrated between CONAVI's works and the damage alleged by the petitioner. According to the reports rendered and evidence submitted, the waters flow due to the local gradient and at natural discharge points. No danger to persons or property is evident; rather, neighbors are blamed for building works in setback areas and without permits. Therefore, any violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioner is ruled out.Según se extrae de tales elementos, en lo que respecta a los trabajos realizados por el Conavi en 2012 en las cunetas de la Dirección10544, esa instancia rechazó cualquier vínculo entre tales trabajos y el problema denunciado por el recurrente, indicando que “Las cunetas de la RN-239 descargan en puntos de desfogue natural, determinados por la topografía…”. De manera análoga, la Municipalidad de Mora señaló: “…las aguas están dirigidas a un cuerpo de agua identificado como tal en los archivos del Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial (SNIT) y en el visor público del Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Recurso Hídrico (SINIGIRH) del Departamento de Aguas del MINAE; que cruzan lotes privados y un camino que no forma parte de la Red Vial Cantonal de esta Municipalidad. Lo anterior se ampara en lo estipulado por la Ley de Caminos Públicos #5060 en su artículo #20 el cual indica que 'todos los poseedores de bienes raíces, por cualquier título, están obligados a recibir y dejar discurrir dentro de sus predios, las aguas de los caminos cuando así lo determine el desnivel del terreno y, cuando sus fundos estén inmediatos a los desagües de un camino, deberán mantener estos desagües limpios, en perfecto estado de servicio y libres de obstáculos…'.” En resumen, no se demuestra un vínculo entre las obras del Conavi y el daño alegado por el tutelado. Según se desprende de los informes rendidos y prueba aportada, las aguas discurren a causa del desnivel local y en los puntos de desfogue naturales. No se extrae peligro para las personas o cosas y, más bien, se atribuye a los vecinos la construcción de obras en las áreas de retiro y sin permisos. En ese tanto, se descarta una lesión a los derechos fundamentales del justiciable.
Pull quotesCitas destacadas
"Las cunetas construidas por el CONAVI NO modificaron, ni cerraron, ni alteraron cauces naturales."
"The drains built by CONAVI did NOT modify, close, or alter natural watercourses."
Informe del CONAVI
"Las cunetas construidas por el CONAVI NO modificaron, ni cerraron, ni alteraron cauces naturales."
Informe del CONAVI
"En resumen, no se demuestra un vínculo entre las obras del Conavi y el daño alegado por el tutelado."
"In summary, no link is demonstrated between CONAVI's works and the damage alleged by the petitioner."
Considerando IV
"En resumen, no se demuestra un vínculo entre las obras del Conavi y el daño alegado por el tutelado."
Considerando IV
"Todos los poseedores de bienes raíces, por cualquier título, están obligados a recibir y dejar discurrir dentro de sus predios, las aguas de los caminos cuando así lo determine el desnivel del terreno."
"All holders of real estate, by whatever title, are obliged to receive and allow stormwater from the roads to flow within their properties when determined by the terrain's slope."
Artículo 20 Ley de Caminos Públicos No. 5060, citado en el informe municipal
"Todos los poseedores de bienes raíces, por cualquier título, están obligados a recibir y dejar discurrir dentro de sus predios, las aguas de los caminos cuando así lo determine el desnivel del terreno."
Artículo 20 Ley de Caminos Públicos No. 5060, citado en el informe municipal
Full documentDocumento completo
Resulting:
The Attorney General's Office (Procuraduría General de la República), in Legal Opinion No. 044 - J of July 20, 2012, addressed the issue, stating: “(…) Although the General Plan (Plan General) must include all actions to be taken to respond to the emergency, in its distinct phases, the agencies that will be responsible for those actions, and the general investment required by the emergency in its distinct phases, the truth is that from the moment an agency is appointed as an executing unit (unidad ejecutora), it becomes obligated to prepare an investment plan (plan de inversión), describing the actions, works, and financial resources it will employ to attend to the tasks corresponding to it. That is, a plan of action for its obligations regarding the emergency, as those obligations arise from the General Plan. That investment plan cannot be limited to mentioning the major lines of action, since the law not only states that it must contain a detailed description, but adds that this must be itemized (pormenorizada); which forces one to consider that the actions must be described in their various elements in order to specify how the needs caused will be addressed.
It follows from the above that the investment plan is a consequence of the General Plan. Consequently, it must contemplate the actions foreseen in the General Plan and maintain the corresponding causal link between the emergency and the actions to be financed with that new plan (…)” (The underlining is not from the original). VI. POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN RISK PREVENTION THROUGH TERRITORIAL PLANNING (ORDENAMIENTO TERRITORIAL). It is the duty of the municipal government to guarantee, through planning and the exercise of police power (potestad de policía), that urban development meets criteria of safety, health, and environmental sustainability. The foregoing, in protection of the rights of citizens. Arising directly from Article 169 of the Political Constitution, the Municipal Code (Código Municipal), the Urban Planning Law (Ley de Planificación Urbana), the Construction Law (Ley de Construcciones), and related regulations, it is the absolute and exclusive responsibility of the municipalities to plan the territory under their jurisdiction.
This unavoidable duty has been expanded upon in various opinions of the Attorney General's Office, among them, C-093-2007 of March 27, 2007, C-020-2009 of January 29, 2009, C-118-2009 of May 4, 2009, C-155-2009 of June 1, 2009, C-091-2010 of May 3, 2010, and several more in the same vein. The Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) has ratified this responsibility, in rulings such as numbers 2153-93, 5305-93, 6706-93, 4205-96, 2000-431, 2000-06653, 2001-07485, 2002-01220, 2002-05996, 2002- 07751, 2003-11397, 2004-1915, 2004-14404, 2004-01915, 2004-09439, 2005-04002 and 2005- 07516, among many others. In this regard, the jurist Eduardo Ortiz Ortiz, cited in Opinion C-032-98 of February 25, 1998, from the Attorney General's Office, has stated: "The municipal competence to issue urban plans derives from the law, since it covers a matter constitutionally reserved to it, but it also has a constitutional basis, since it is a local matter.
This means that the law cannot make the delegation except to the Municipality and that a law that did the opposite and empowered, for example, the Executive Branch, would be unconstitutional, for violating municipal autonomy." Additionally, the Contentious-Administrative and Civil Treasury Tribunal (Tribunal de lo Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda) has issued rulings consistent with the position of the Attorney General's Office, such as resolution No. 128- 2008 of 10:30 a.m. on March 7, 2008, No. 209-2011, of 2:30 p.m. on June 16, 2011, and No. 124-2011, of 9:50 a.m. on April 15, 2012, among many others, emphasizing the absolute responsibility of local governments regarding territorial planning.
Agreement No. 0443 of November 30, 2011, from the Board of Directors of the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias) adopted in Extraordinary Session No. 10-11, held on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, and published in La Gaceta No. 230 of November 30, 2011, called: “Recommends to mayors (alcaldes) that they proceed immediately to the evacuation of occupants from areas of recognized risk and imminent danger and demolish the buildings located in them,” which textually concludes by stating: a. Recommend to all Mayors of the country: i. That in accordance with the duties and powers imposed upon them by the Political Constitution in its articles 50 and 169, the Municipal Code, the Urban Planning Law, the Construction Law, the Organic Environmental Law, Article 33 of the Forest Law (Ley Forestal), and related regulations, the General Health Law, and the extensive jurisprudence on the subject, they proceed immediately to the evacuation of occupants from areas of recognized risk and imminent danger, as well as to demolish the buildings located in them, and to monitor that they are not invaded again by human settlements, applying the procedural sequence cited in Considering IV, extracted from ruling No. 12485- 2010 of the Constitutional Chamber. ii.
That due to the binding nature conferred by the Constitutional Chamber, they immediately implement the recommendations that the technicians of the CNE and academic institutions have provided to them repeatedly over many years and which are known to them, regarding concrete and timely actions to safeguard human life in areas of recognized risk and imminent danger. The studies and technical recommendations that have been historically issued in each case will be available to the municipalities at the CNE offices. The Internal Audit Offices (Auditorías Internas) and the Municipal Councils (Concejos Municipales) shall ensure compliance with these provisions. Disobedience will be considered a breach of duties (incumplimiento de deberes), and must be brought by the Internal Audit Offices to the attention of the corresponding authority. (…) d. Formally communicate this Agreement to all Mayors, and to the Ombudsman's Office (Defensoría de los Habitantes). e. Publish this Agreement and the country's natural hazard summary map (available on the website, www.cne.go.cr) in the official gazette and in a newspaper of national circulation.
(The underlining is not from the original) At this point, it is necessary to recall that by virtue of the constitutional mandate that the administration of the local interests and services of the canton is the competence of the Local Government, and for the specific case, the Municipality, as a state legal entity, with its own patrimony and legal personality (article 2 of Municipal Code No. 7794), has full legal capacity to execute all types of acts and contracts necessary to fulfill its purposes.
Of the ordinary competencies of the CNE, according to Law No. 8488, is the obligation to; “… Article 14.-Ordinary prevention competencies of the commission. The Commission shall be the governing body with regard to risk prevention and preparedness to attend to emergency situations. It must fulfill the following competencies: a) Articulate and coordinate the national policy regarding risk prevention and preparedness to attend to emergency situations. Likewise, it must promote, organize, direct, and coordinate, as appropriate, the allocations required to articulate the National Risk Management System (Sistema Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo) and its components and instruments. This management shall be carried out in permanent consultation with the organs and entities integrated into the process. b) Carry out thematic promotion, through permanent education and dissemination programs. c) Issue binding resolutions on risk, disaster, and imminent danger situations, based on technical and scientific criteria, aimed at guiding regulation and control actions for their effective prevention and management, that regulate or order their effective compliance by State institutions, the private sector, and the population in general.
The officials of the organs and entities competent to execute or implement such binding resolutions may, in no case, disregard them. Physical or legal persons, public or private, who improperly build on or use zones restricted by these binding resolutions shall be subject to the obligation to demolish or eliminate the work, in accordance with Article 36 of this Law. d) Exercise control over the regulatory function carried out by State institutions to control risk-generating processes, according to their areas of competence, based on the Commission's power to issue binding resolutions on risk conditions and emergency response. e) Exercise a permanent control function, so that State organs and entities include risk management criteria in the planning and execution of the plans, programs, and projects that promote the country's development. f) Promote and support studies and research in matters related to its purposes, as well as the development of projects that promote physical, technical, and educational systems aimed at disaster prevention and mitigation, and preparedness to face them. g) Promote and foster the monitoring and management of risk situations, through the study or implementation of observation, surveillance, and alert measures, that allow foreseeing, reducing, and avoiding the impact and damages of possible disaster events.
Furthermore, if necessary, coordinate the monitoring and management of such situations. h) Advise municipalities regarding the management of information on risk conditions that affect them, such as guidance for an effective policy on land use and territorial planning. The advice shall contribute to the elaboration of regulatory plans (planes reguladores), the adoption of control measures, and the promotion of organization, aimed at reducing the vulnerability of people, considering that, at the municipal level, the responsibility for addressing this problem lies in the first instance. i) Establish and coordinate a permanent multi-institutional body for planning, coordination, and direction of emergency operations. j) Establish and maintain relationships with entities, national and international, governmental or non-governmental, whose purpose is akin to the institution; sign, with said entities, agreements, conventions, or contracts for exchange and cooperation deemed appropriate. k) Foster the creation and strengthening of regional, municipal, and local capacities for the management of emergency situations.
If necessary, includes participation in alert, alarm, mobilization, and assistance actions for the population. l) Manage international aid, from agencies and countries, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto), for prevention programs and emergency response. m) Coordinate the international aid that Costa Rica may offer to other nations that have declared an emergency in their territories, when agreed upon by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship. Such cooperation shall be constituted by human resources, technical advice, or donations of goods and services, as the country's possibilities allow…” (Highlighting is not from the original) Similarly, it has its extraordinary competencies defined in Article 15, which textually states; “Article 15.-Extraordinary competencies of the commission.
Once the state of emergency established in Article 29 of this Law is declared, the Commission shall be responsible for planning, coordinating, directing, and controlling the actions aimed at resolving urgent needs, executing protection, rescue, and rehabilitation programs and activities. To do this, it must execute, at a minimum, the following actions: a) The coordination, direction, and control of the response to emergencies declared as such by the Executive Branch, shall be carried out according to the phases defined in Article 30 of this Law; for this, the Commission, through the Executive Directorate, must prepare the General Emergency Plan (Plan General de la Emergencia), according to the terms referred to in Chapter VI of this Law. b) Must coordinate damage assessment, for which the institutions of the Central Administration, the Decentralized Public Administration of the State, Local Governments, and state enterprises shall be responsible for evaluating the damages and coordinating their execution with the Commission. c) Plan, coordinate, organize, and supervise the execution of rescue actions by public and private, national and international agencies. d) Coordinate the scientific and technical research necessary for the Plan, as well as physical and economic recovery programs, and provide the necessary follow-up. e) Appoint as executing units (unidades ejecutoras), the public institutions that have under their scope of competence, the execution of the works defined in the General Emergency Plan and supervise their execution. f) Hire the special personnel required for determined periods and in accordance with the declaration of emergency.
Except as provided in the preceding subsections, the Commission shall attend, without a declaration of emergency by the Executive Branch, to the delivery of blankets, food, mattresses, and the acquisition of materials to rehabilitate basic services and enable shelters, as well as the contracting of a maximum of three hundred machine-hours for cleaning and priority attention. The provisions of this paragraph apply for each case of local and minor emergencies that, due to the high frequency with which they occur or the serious impact they cause in the communities, demand the provision of extraordinary attention…” Article 25 of Law 8488 indicates that it is the responsibility of the Costa Rican State to prevent disasters; therefore, all institutions shall be obligated to consider the concepts of risk and disaster in their programs and include the ordinary management measures that are appropriate and timely for them to avoid their manifestation, promoting a culture aimed at reducing them.
Likewise, Agreement No. 0443 of November 30, 2011, from the Board of Directors of the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response adopted in Extraordinary Session No. 10-11, held on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, and published in La Gaceta No. 230 of November 30, 2011, must be kept in mind; it “Recommends to mayors, that they proceed immediately to the evacuation of occupants from areas of recognized risk and imminent danger and demolish the buildings located in them.” At this point, it is necessary to recall that by virtue of the constitutional mandate that the administration of the local interests and services of the canton is the competence of the Local Government, and for the specific case, the Municipality (…), as a state legal entity, with its own patrimony and legal personality (Article 2 of Municipal Code No. 7794), has full legal capacity to execute all types of acts and contracts necessary to fulfill its purposes.
In another line of ideas, within the budget and as part of the powers of local governments in risk prevention, we have that in accordance with Law No. 9907, of October twenty-seventh, two thousand twenty, Article 46 bis was added to Law 8488, dedicated to the application of the three percent that previously had to be transferred to the Commission by the municipal regime. It is the duty of the municipal government to guarantee, through planning and the exercise of police power, that urban development meets criteria of safety, health, and environmental sustainability. The foregoing, in protection of the rights of citizens. Arising directly from Article 169 of the Political Constitution, the Municipal Code, the Urban Planning Law, the Construction Law, and related regulations, it is the absolute and exclusive responsibility of the municipalities to plan the territory under their jurisdiction.
In another line of ideas, through Official Letter No. CNE-UIAR-INF-1738-2025, of December 2025, the Risk Investigation and Analysis Unit (Unidad de Investigación y Análisis del Riesgo) of the CNE, proceeded to provide a technical report, regarding what was alleged by the appellant. Relevant portions state the following (original wording and spelling are preserved); “… IV. Conclusions 1. Existence on both banks of two types of protection works, right bank gabions (gaviones) that in one of its sections is failing and the other the placement of tires on the left bank that is also decoupled, both within the protection zone. 2. The property with cadastral map SJ-0502320-1998, Address10547, located in the district of Guayabo, Address10548, Address10549, Address10546, evidences a placement of tires parallel to the property possibly carried out for erosion protection. 3. The construction or dwelling directly (SJ-0502320-1998, Address10547), is not directly exposed to erosion due to the conditions indicated in point 2. 4.
The containment work “gavión” carried out for erosion protection on the right bank initially presents a structural failure. 5. The dwellings located on the west side in the slope area, right bank, to date do not show problems associated with slope instability. 6. The dwellings located on the west side are habitable to date V. Recommendations 1. Build technically well-designed mitigation works on both banks, by the property owners in accordance with the legal provisions for these cases. 2. With respect to the conditions of the stream from the hydrological point of view or water discharges, it is the responsibility of other entities to determine and analyze the measures to be taken in the area in order to prevent greater impacts in the lower parts…” Finally, the Reconstruction Processes Unit (Unidad de Procesos de Reconstrucción) of the CNE, remits Official Letter CNEUGPR-OF-3891-2025, of December 8, 2025, which, in relevant parts, states the following (original wording and spelling are preserved); “…According to your request, we allow ourselves to inform you of the following: 1.
That the works carried out by the National Road Council (CONAVI) on Address10544, correspond to ordinary maintenance that this Institution must carry out within the framework of its competencies. 2. This Unit has no report that the Municipality, CONAVI, or any other Institution has filed with the CNE a request for an undeclared Local Emergency during the current year, to address impacts in the area, specifically on Address10545…” (Highlighting is not from the original) In conclusion, the CNE has carried out proactive work within our legality framework and in accordance with the guidance of the Honorable Constitutional Chamber, in terms of providing prompt and complete response to the appellants and of making recommendations within the area of our competencies to other Government institutions and directly to the Municipal Corporation. That is, no violation whatsoever of the fundamental rights alleged by the appellant is accredited.”
The foregoing is supported by the provisions of the Public Roads Law #5060 in its article #20, which indicates that "all possessors of real estate, by any title, are obligated to receive and allow to flow within their properties, the waters from the roads when so determined by the unevenness of the land and, when their properties are immediately adjacent to the drains of a road, they must keep these drains clean, in perfect working order, and free of obstacles…" The setbacks of those works built near the channels of bodies of water, given the highly changeable dynamism of rivers, are precisely to contemplate the variations in flow rates, hence such works must be respected and the corresponding permit must be obtained to verify that the setback is respected and functions correctly to avoid problems, both from the failure of these works and the eventual obstruction within the river channel.
The foregoing was evidenced in the attached report MM-PM-341-2025, following an inspection carried out on October 28, 2025. Finally, with all the foregoing, it is evident that the Municipality of Mora has no liability whatsoever regarding what Mr. Nombre129538 states, and rather it is proven that the works built by these same individuals were done without any type of permit and without respecting the legal setbacks, which caused their failure and is actually obstructing the normal flow of the waters, causing greater scour of the channel. (…)” III. ON THE LEGAL JURISDICTION OVER THE NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK: The Costa Rican legal framework is clear in establishing that the National Road Network falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the MOPT and CONAVI, as established by the General Roads Law in its article 01, which states: “(…) NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK: Its administration corresponds to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which shall define it according to the requirements determined for that purpose by the Executive Branch, by way of agreement.
This network shall be constituted by the following classes of public roads: a) Primary roads: Network of trunk routes, to serve as corridors, characterized by relatively high traffic volumes and a high proportion of international, interprovincial, or long-distance trips. b) Secondary roads: Routes connecting important canton capitals -not served by primary roads- as well as other centers of population, production, or tourism, that generate a considerable number of interregional or inter-canton trips. c) Tertiary roads: Routes that serve as traffic collectors for primary and secondary roads, and that constitute the main roads for trips within a region, or between important districts. (…)” This same article establishes that the administration of the cantonal road network corresponds to the municipalities, clearly delimiting the competence of both entities in relation to the country's road network, granting legal jurisdiction over the national road network to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and over the cantonal road network to the municipalities.
Furthermore, article 04, subsection a) of the Law Creating the Road Council (CONAVI) stipulates: “(…) ARTICLE 4.- The objectives of the National Road Council shall be the following: a) To plan, program, administer, finance, execute, and control the conservation and construction of the national road network, in accordance with the programs prepared by the Planning Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (…)” The article cited above establishes once again that the administration, conservation, and construction of the national road network shall be the objective of the National Road Council as a body with maximum deconcentration, attached to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. In addition to the foregoing, ordinal 02 of Law No. 9329, Special Law for the Transfer of Competencies: Full and Exclusive Attention of the Cantonal Road Network, again delimits the competence of the municipalities regarding the cantonal road network, let us see: “(…) The attention of the cantonal road network, fully and exclusively, shall be the competence of the local governments, who shall be responsible for planning, programming, designing, administering, financing, executing, and controlling its construction, conservation, signaling, demarcation, rehabilitation, reinforcement, reconstruction, concession, and operation, in accordance with the road conservation and development plan (five-year) of each municipality.
(…)” By virtue of the stated regulations, jurisdiction over the administration of those highways, streets, or roads that make up the national road network is exclusive to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and its attached entity CONAVI, therefore the Municipalities cannot intervene, administer, or execute works in this network except by express assignment by law, failing which they lack the competence to intervene, administer, or execute any work on the national road network, which must be taken into account in this amparo appeal, since the facts denounced by the appellant are linked to stormwater coming from a national route such as 239. IV. OF THE SPECIFIC CASE: According to the reports of Geologist Pablo Herrera Zuñiga and engineer Cristhian Arroyo Gamboa, both officials of the Technical Road Management Unit of this municipality, it is confirmed that the ditching works that are collecting stormwater and diverting it to the Quebrada Bajo Claras, generating the impact denounced in this amparo appeal, were executed by the National Road Council (CONAVI) for the purpose of channeling stormwater coming from National Route 239.
It is expressly noted that the increase in flow in the adjacent stream, as well as the scouring and flooding processes denounced by the appellant, derive directly from the intervention carried out by CONAVI for the drainage of stormwater, since the road that collects and conveys such water corresponds to the national road network, and not to the cantonal road network. Therefore, its execution, maintenance, and attention are exclusively the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) through CONAVI, without interference from this Municipality, as it is not within its jurisdiction, as established by the General Roads Law. Likewise, from the inspection carried out by municipal authorities at the site and the facts, it was determined, as reported by the Technical Road Management Unit, that certain retaining walls were built in the area, one of tires and another of gabions; however, it assesses that these structures have apparently yielded due to water pressure, generating obstructions to the natural flow of the stream in question and contributing to the accumulation of sediments and the specific increase in the water level.
Such a situation, far from being the product of municipal actions, derives from the alteration of the amount of water collected by the stream, generated by the works executed by CONAVI on a national-level section. On the other hand, the Report from the Geology department of this municipality concludes that within the affected property pointed out by the appellant, no active erosive processes or evidence of nearby landslides are observed, so the alleged damage is not linked to internal ground phenomena. Similarly, the report notes that the access road to the property is not coded within the inventory of the cantonal road network. Given this, it is not possible to use resources from Law 8114, which exclusively finances the attention and intervention of the duly registered and coded cantonal road network. This regulation is clear that resources must be allocated to routes officially classified within said network, which does not apply to the road mentioned by the appellant.
Additionally, the stream in question is identified as a surface water body registered as intermittent in the archives of the National Territorial Information System (SNIT) and in the public viewer of the National Information System for Water Resource Management (SINIGIRH) of the Water Department of MINAE. Likewise, as indicated in the report, the protection zones of the surface water body were delimited by the Geographic Information System and, as a result, the adjoining property and dwelling are affected by the protection area; thus, according to what was determined, this Municipality will proceed to carry out the corresponding closures to safeguard the protection area and the well-being of the inhabitants of said dwelling. However, it must be reiterated that the works for draining stormwater from Dirección10551, which are generating the impact of scouring and flooding due to the increase of the stream's flow upon receiving those waters, were not executed under municipal jurisdiction, since the area forms part of the hydraulic corridor related to a national route.
The engineer from the Road Management Unit indicates that the channeling technique carried out by CONAVI is precisely to convey stormwater toward a natural body of water, in order to allow its drainage and ensure that it follows its normal course, avoiding impacts on the national road infrastructure, but said questioned works are not the responsibility of the municipality; rather, they correspond to interventions carried out by CONAVI within its scope of legal jurisdiction. Consequently, the effects derived from the increase in the stream's flow and the scouring processes observed in the sector are inherent to the management of the national road network, which is not the competence of this municipality. In this way, we emphasize that, according to what was reported by the competent technical unit, the main impact factor is related to: 1. The ditching works carried out by CONAVI regarding route 239 and the stormwater flowing from said route, under the jurisdiction of MOPT through CONAVI, toward the Quebrada Bajo Claras, increasing its flow. 2.
The aggravating factor of the retaining walls, the construction of which has also been unrelated to this municipality and which have yielded, causing the interruption of the stream's flow, aggravating the impact. It is unknown whether they have the permits that are the jurisdiction of the Water Directorate of MINAE for the construction of said structures in the channel. Therefore, none of the executed works that are generating the impact denounced by the appellant can be attributed to the management of this municipality."
In Report SALASA (1-2)-204-2023, issued by the Road Administrator of Zone 1-2, it expressly concludes: “The existence of a storm drainage system at Dirección10544 was observed, consisting of concrete ditches (cunetas)… The current state of the ditches is excellent.” “The points where the ditches discharge correspond to the naturally lowest points of the terrain.” Likewise, the report determines: “The problem is not caused by CONAVI, since this point is a natural discharge; what happens is that, in the absence of adequate drainage infrastructure on the cantonal road, it is affected.” 2. The ditches discharge exactly where the topography dictates. There is no artificial diversion created by CONAVI. The natural slope of the terrain conducts the water toward the intersection with the cantonal road, where: • There is a single natural discharge point identified before the construction of the ditches. • The cantonal road has very steep slopes, almost completely lacks ditches, and does not have a functional municipal stormwater system, which generates erosion and debris flow during the rainy season.
This conclusion is amply supported by: • Photographs, sketches, and maps from the aforementioned SALASA Report. Regarding the imputation that CONAVI “closed a water outlet in 2012-2013,” the appellant cites municipal reports from 2013, but: 1. There is no current technical evidence demonstrating that CONAVI suppressed or closed a natural watercourse. 2. The municipal reports were issued without coordinates, without topographic surveys, and without hydraulic modeling, and refer solely to preliminary perceptions from that time. 3. Subsequently, official inspections carried out in 2023 by the Road Administrator and the Central Region categorically conclude that: “The stormwater discharges of Dirección10544 correspond to the lowest and natural points of the terrain, and no closure of any watercourse was identified.” 4. The stormwater system of RN-239 functions adequately, as evidenced in the photographic record provided.
With respect to the impacts at Dirección10546 and Dirección10549 According to the aforementioned technical report: 1. The erosion and damages originate in the cantonal road, NOT in the National Route. • Dirección7762 has very high slopes. • It only has a very short section of ditch. • It lacks a municipal stormwater system, causing the water to gain force and erode the road. This is described textually as: “The cantonal road… has a very high slope… as there is no ditch on most of the cantonal road, this causes rapid erosion of the road.” 2. CONAVI’s works did not generate an increase in flow in the stream (quebrada). CONAVI did not artificially increase, divert, or reroute the runoff flow. The water that reaches the stream comes from the historical and natural drainage of the terrain. Regarding environmental damage There is no technical evidence linking • The ditches of RN-239 to the collapse of gabions, landslides (deslizamientos), undercutting (socavación) of slopes, or collapse of homes on private properties in the sector.
On the contrary, the reports indicate: • Soil saturation and erosion occur within private property, unrelated to any intervention on the National Route. • Slopes fail due to natural processes, the absence of municipal works, self-built constructions, and the location of homes a few meters from the edge of the stream, as shown in the photographs in the case file. Therefore, it is reaffirmed that: 1. CONAVI did NOT close any natural watercourse or divert water. 2. The ditches of Dirección10562 discharge at natural drainage points, determined by the topography. 3. The real problem lies in the lack of municipal stormwater infrastructure on the cantonal road, whose slope and absence of works cause erosion and debris flow. 4. There is no technical or causal link between CONAVI’s works and the damages within private properties or in the stream. 5. The national drainage system fulfills its function and is in good condition.” Now, as has been demonstrated through the report added to this response, regarding the inquiry made by the high Constitutional Court, due attention, follow-up, and a response have been provided.
It is therefore held, according to what was set forth above, that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport has not generated the situations indicated by the amparo petitioner, since it is clear that the alleged environmental damages, floods, and impacts on private properties are neither a direct nor indirect result of the improvements made by CONAVI or this Ministry”.
Drafted by Judge Rueda Leal; and,
Considering:
I.Preliminary matter. In view of the fact that the Minister of Environment and Energy omitted to respond to the hearing within the deadline set by this Court in the procedural resolution of the sub lite, the appeal shall be resolved in accordance with Article 45 of the Ley de la Jurisdicción Constitucional, taking into consideration the evidentiary elements that appear in the record.
II.Object of the appeal. The appellant claims that CONAVI carried out ditch construction works (cuneteo) at Dirección10544 in 2012. He indicates that, as a consequence of the redirection of water, floods have been generated and the bank of the Dirección10560 stream has been undercut, including the culvert that serves as a bridge to Dirección10546, which is located at the entrance of his property. He affirms that the situation was communicated by the Municipality of Mora to CONAVI. He alleges that a risk of slope displacement and the collapse of the homes located there is created. He states that municipal police officers entered his property on October 24, 2025, without permission, a situation he associated with the aforementioned problem. However, he has not received any report.
III.Proven facts. Of importance for the decision of this matter, the following facts are deemed duly demonstrated, either because they have been accredited as such or because the respondent has omitted to refer to them, as provided in the initial order:
The homes located on the west side in the slope area, right bank, to date do not show problems associated with slope instability. 6. The homes located on the west side are habitable to date V. Recommendations 1. Build technically well-designed mitigation works on both banks, by the owners in accordance with the legal provisions for these cases. 2. Regarding the conditions of the stream from the hydrological point of view or water discharges, it is for other entities to determine and analyze the measures to be adopted in the area in order to prevent greater impacts in the lower parts”. (See report rendered and evidence provided).
Using Geographic Information Systems tools, the protection zones of surface water bodies were delimited with a distance of 15 m on both sides of the watercourse, as established by Article 33 of Ley Forestal No. 7575. As a result, part of farm 487692 and the dwelling built on the site are affected by the protection area (figure 1). The setback from water bodies may be verified with greater certainty at the request of the owner through INVU. (…) 5. During a field inspection, a tire wall with fill was observed in the protection zone of the water body, left bank adjacent to farm 487692 (photographs 1 and 2). It is unknown whether the works in the channel have the permit from the Dirección de Aguas. These walls built in the surface watercourse and its protection area show a reduction of space for the passage of water flow; for this reason, depth erosion may have been generated, affecting the base of the tire walls and their subsequent destabilization.
On the adjacent farm on the right bank, a gabion wall is also observed (photograph 1). (…) 6. There is a contribution of stormwater from a drainage outlet from National Route 239. The competence to address national road infrastructure corresponds to CONAVI. Based on the consultation with the engineer of the Technical Road Management Unit of the Municipality of Mora, a legal framework exists that allows draining water collected in the ditches of road infrastructure to low points and receiving water bodies…”. (See report rendered and evidence provided).
The foregoing is supported by the provisions of Ley de Caminos Públicos #5060 in its Article #20, which indicates that ‘all possessors of real estate, by any title, are obliged to receive and allow the waters of the roads to flow within their properties when the slope of the land so determines, and when their properties are immediately adjacent to the drains of a road, they must keep these drains clean, in perfect service condition, and free of obstacles…’ The setbacks of those works that are built near the channels of water bodies, given the highly changing dynamism of rivers, is precisely to contemplate variations in flows, hence these types of works must be respected, and the corresponding permit must be obtained to verify that the setback is respected and functions correctly to avoid problems, both from the failure of these and the eventual obstruction within the river channel. The foregoing was evidenced in the attached report MM-PM-341-2025, according to a visit made on October 28, 2025.
Finally, with everything stated above, it is evident that the Municipality of Mora has no type of responsibility regarding what Mr. Nombre129538 sets forth, and rather it is proven that the works built by these same individuals were done without any type of permit and without respecting the legal setbacks, which caused their failure and rather is obstructing the normal course of the waters, causing greater undercutting of the channel”. (See report rendered and evidence provided).
Therefore, it is reaffirmed that: 1. CONAVI did NOT close any natural watercourse or divert water. 2. The ditches of RN-239 discharge at natural drainage points, determined by the topography. 3. The real problem lies in the lack of municipal stormwater infrastructure on the cantonal road, whose slope and absence of works cause erosion and debris flow. 4. There is no technical or causal link between CONAVI’s works and the damages within private properties or in the stream. 5. The national drainage system fulfills its function and is in good condition…”. (See report rendered and evidence provided).
IV.On the specific case. In the sub examine, the appellant claims that CONAVI carried out ditch construction works on national route 239 in 2012. He indicates that, as a consequence of the redirection of water, floods have been generated and the bank of the Dirección10560 stream has been undercut, including the culvert that serves as a bridge to Dirección10546, which is located at the entrance of his property. He affirms that the situation was communicated by the Municipality of Mora to CONAVI. He alleges that a risk of slope displacement and the collapse of the homes located there is created. He states that municipal police officers entered his property on October 24, 2025, without permission, a situation he associated with the aforementioned problem. However, he has not received any report.
Having analyzed the record, this Chamber deemed it proven that the protected party is the owner of the property in the province of San José, registration number 487692-000. On October 24, 2025, police officers and officials of the Municipality of Mora inspected the landslide site in Bajo Claros. In technical report CNE-UIAR-INF-1738-2025 of December 2025, the Risk Research and Analysis Unit of the CNE stated: “IV. Conclusions 1. Existence on both banks of two types of protection works, on the right bank, gabions that in one of their sections are failing, and the other, the placement of tires on the left bank that is also uncoupled, both within the protection zone. 2. The property with cadastral map SJ-0502320-1998, Farm 487692, located in the district of Guayabo, Dirección10548, Bajo Claras, Dirección10546, shows a placement of tires parallel to the property possibly carried out for erosion protection. 3.
The construction or home directly (SJ-0502320-1998, Farm 487692) is not directly exposed to erosion effects due to the conditions indicated in point 2. 4. The containment work “gabion” carried out for the erosion protection of the right bank initially presents a structural failure. 5. The homes located on the west side in the slope area, right bank, to date do not show problems associated with slope instability. 6. The homes located on the west side are habitable to date V. Recommendations 1. Build technically well-designed mitigation works on both banks, by the owners in accordance with the legal provisions for these cases. 2. Regarding the conditions of the stream from the hydrological point of view or water discharges, it is for other entities to determine and analyze the measures to be adopted in the area in order to prevent greater impacts in the lower parts”. Through report no. UTGV-0785-2025 of December 5, 2025, the geologist of the Technical Road Management Unit of the Municipality of Mora stated: “In response to your request to answer the amparo appeal with CASE FILE: No. 25-036859-0007-CO, I indicate the following for the specific case of farm 487692: 1.
The natural hazards map of the Municipality of Mora (figure 1) does not record active landslides affecting the property. The erosive processes closest to the farm are located 90 m in a northeast direction, corresponding to slight creep, but they do not affect farm 487692. 2. Based on the inventory of the cantonal road network, the access road to farm 487692 is not codified; therefore, funds from Ley 8114 cannot be assigned to intervene on it (figure 1). 3. A surface water body registered as intermittent in the archives of the Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial (SNIT) and in the public viewer of the Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Recurso Hídrico (SINIGIRH) of the Department of Water of MINAE is identified (figures 1 and 2). 4. Using Geographic Information Systems tools, the protection zones of surface water bodies were delimited with a distance of 15 m on both sides of the watercourse, as established by Article 33 of Ley Forestal No. 7575.
As a result, part of farm 487692 and the dwelling built on the site are affected by the protection area (figure 1). The setback from water bodies may be verified with greater certainty at the request of the owner through INVU. (…) 5. During a field inspection, a tire wall with fill was observed in the protection zone of the water body, left bank adjacent to farm 487692 (photographs 1 and 2). It is unknown whether the works in the channel have the permit from the Dirección de Aguas. These walls built in the surface watercourse and its protection area show a reduction of space for the passage of water flow; for this reason, depth erosion may have been generated, affecting the base of the tire walls and their subsequent destabilization. On the adjacent farm on the right bank, a gabion wall is also observed (photograph 1). (…) 6. There is a contribution of stormwater from a drainage outlet from National Route 239.
The competence to address national road infrastructure corresponds to CONAVI. Based on the consultation with the engineer of the Technical Road Management Unit of the Municipality of Mora, a legal framework exists that allows draining water collected in the ditches of road infrastructure to low points and receiving water bodies…”. Through report UTGV-0787-2025 of December 9, 2025, the director of the Technical Road Management Unit of the Municipality of Mora stated: “…Conclusions: Although it is true that the works have to do with the subject of roads and the waters deriving from them, the works come from a national route which, as Ley de Caminos Públicos clearly indicates, being a National Route, is the sole responsibility of MOPT/CONAVI, and not of the Municipality, even if it is located within the Canton of Mora. Furthermore, the waters are directed towards a water body identified as such in the archives of the Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial (SNIT) and in the public viewer of the Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Recurso Hídrico (SINIGIRH) of the Department of Water of MINAE, which crosses private lots and a road that is not part of the Cantonal Road Network of this Municipality.
The foregoing is supported by the provisions of Ley de Caminos Públicos #5060 in its Article #20, which indicates that ‘all possessors of real estate, by any title, are obliged to receive and allow the waters of the roads to flow within their properties when the slope of the land so determines, and when their properties are immediately adjacent to the drains of a road, they must keep these drains clean, in perfect service condition, and free of obstacles…’ The setbacks of those works that are built near the channels of water bodies, given the highly changing dynamism of rivers, is precisely to contemplate variations in flows, hence these types of works must be respected, and the corresponding permit must be obtained to verify that the setback is respected and functions correctly to avoid problems, both from the failure of these and the eventual obstruction within the river channel. The foregoing was evidenced in the attached report MM-PM-341-2025, according to a visit made on October 28, 2025.
Finally, with everything stated above, it is evident that the Municipality of Mora has no type of responsibility regarding what Mr. Nombre129538 sets forth, and rather it is proven that the works built by these same individuals were done without any type of permit and without respecting the legal setbacks, which caused their failure and rather is obstructing the normal course of the waters, causing greater undercutting of the channel”. In official letter CARTA-CONAVI-CA-DIE-GCSV-DRC-196-2025 of December 9, 2025, the Road and Bridge Conservation Management of CONAVI stated: “…2. CONAVI’s works did not generate an increase in flow in the stream. CONAVI did not artificially increase, divert, or reroute the runoff flow. The water that reaches the stream comes from the historical and natural drainage of the terrain. Regarding environmental damage There is no technical evidence linking • The ditches of RN-239 to the collapse of gabions, landslides, undercutting of slopes, or collapse of homes on private properties in the sector.
On the contrary, the reports indicate: • Soil saturation and erosion occur within private property, unrelated to any intervention on the National Route. • Slopes fail due to natural processes, the absence of municipal works, self-built constructions, and the location of homes a few meters from the edge of the stream, as shown in the photographs in the case file. Therefore, it is reaffirmed that: 1. CONAVI did NOT close any natural watercourse or divert water. 2. The ditches of Dirección10562 discharge at natural drainage points, determined by the topography. 3. The real problem lies in the lack of municipal stormwater infrastructure on the cantonal road, whose slope and absence of works cause erosion and debris flow. 4. There is no technical or causal link between CONAVI’s works and the damages within private properties or in the stream. 5. The national drainage system fulfills its function and is in good condition…”.
Based on what is extracted from such elements, with respect to the works carried out by CONAVI in 2012 on the ditches of Dirección10544, that entity rejected any link between such works and the problem denounced by the appellant, indicating that “The ditches of RN-239 discharge at natural drainage points, determined by the topography…”.
In an analogous manner, the Municipality of Mora stated: “…the waters are directed towards a water body identified as such in the archives of the Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial (SNIT) and in the public viewer of the Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Recurso Hídrico (SINIGIRH) of the Department of Water of MINAE, which crosses private lots and a road that is not part of the Cantonal Road Network of this Municipality. The foregoing is supported by the provisions of Ley de Caminos Públicos #5060 in its Article #20, which indicates that ‘all possessors of real estate, by any title, are obliged to receive and allow the waters of the roads to flow within their properties when the slope of the land so determines, and when their properties are immediately adjacent to the drains of a road, they must keep these drains clean, in perfect service condition, and free of obstacles…’”. That entity, rather, pointed to the responsibility of the neighboring owners “…that the works built by these same individuals were done without any type of permit and without respecting the legal setbacks, which caused their failure and rather is obstructing the normal course of the waters, causing greater undercutting of the channel…”.
It is also of importance that the CNE indicated, with respect to the property of the protected party: “…The construction or home directly (SJ-0502320-1998, Farm 487692) is not directly exposed to erosion effects…”, given that a risk of collapse of his home, as he claims, is ruled out.
In summary, a link between CONAVI’s works and the damage alleged by the protected party is not demonstrated. As can be inferred from the reports rendered and evidence provided, the waters flow due to the local slope and at natural drainage points. No danger to persons or property is inferred, and rather, the construction of works in the setback areas and without permits is attributed to the neighbors. To that extent, an injury to the fundamental rights of the justiciable is ruled out.
Regarding the alleged entry of officers onto his property, the interested party may file the complaints he deems necessary, should he believe a crime was committed.
As a matter of principle, I consider that cases related to the inactivity of the Public Administration in the repair, construction, modification, or demolition of any infrastructure work must be dismissed, as that omission constitutes a matter of legality, the discussion of which corresponds to the ordinary jurisdiction, before which the interested person can debate, with greater breadth, his disagreements. However, when some violation of other fundamental rights protected in this constitutional jurisdiction is derived from that omitted administrative conduct, or when groups considered vulnerable are affected, I do proceed to hear the merits of the matter, as this situation constitutes an exception to my position on this subject, as is the case here, in which the appellant claims to have denounced, before the respondent authorities, the problem generated by the redirection of water resulting from the ditch construction work carried out on National Route No. 230, but which has allegedly not been addressed by the competent authorities within a reasonable time.
VI.Documentation provided to the case file. The parties are warned that, if they have provided any paper document, objects, or evidence contained in any additional electronic, computer, magnetic, optical, telematic device, or device produced by new technologies, these must be withdrawn within a maximum period of 30 business days, counted from the notification of this judgment. It is warned that any material not collected within that period will be destroyed, based on the "Reglamento sobre Expediente Electrónico ante el Poder Judicial" (approved by the Corte Plena in Article XXVI of session no. 27-11 of August 22, 2011, and published in Boletín Judicial no. 19 of January 26, 2012) and Article LXXXI of the session of the Consejo Superior del Poder Judicial no. 43-12 of May 3, 2012.
Therefore:
The appeal is declared without merit. Judge Salazar Alvarado makes a note.
Fernando Castillo V.
Fernando Cruz C.
Paul Rueda L.
Luis Fdo.
Salazar A.
Jorge Araya G.
Anamari Garro V.
Ingrid Hess H.
It is a faithful copy of the original - Taken from the Nexus.PJ on: 08-05-2026 12:06:49.
SALA CONSTITUCIONAL DE LA CORTE SUPREMA DE JUSTICIA. San José, a las nueve horas veinte minutos del veintitres de enero de dos mil veintiseis .
Recurso de amparo que se tramita en el expediente nro. 25-036859-0007-CO, interpuesto por Nombre129538, cédula de identidad CED73711, contra la COMISIÓN NACIONAL DE PREVENCIÓN DE RIESGOS Y ATENCIÓN DE EMERGENCIAS, CONSEJO NACIONAL DE VIALIDAD, MINISTERIO DE AMBIENTE Y ENERGÍA, MINISTERIO DE OBRAS PUBLICAS Y TRANSPORTES Y LA MUNICIPALIDAD DE MORA.
Resultando:
Redacta el Magistrado Rueda Leal; y,
Considerando:
I.Cuestión previa. En vista de que ministro de Ambiente y Energía omitió contestar la audiencia dentro del plazo fijado por este Tribunal en la resolución de curso del sub lite, se procede a resolver el recurso de acuerdo con el artículo 45 de la Ley de la Jurisdicción Constitucional y tomando en consideración los elementos probatorios que constan en los autos.
II.Objeto del recurso. La parte recurrente el Conavi realizó trabajos de cuneteo en la Dirección10544 en 2012. Señala que, como consecuencia del redireccionamiento del agua, se han generado inundaciones y socavado la orilla de la quebrada Bajo Claros, incluyendo la alcantarilla que sirve de puente a Dirección10546, la cual se encuentra a la entrada de su propiedad. Afirma que la situación fue comunicada por la Municipalidad de Mora al Conavi. Alega que se genera un riesgo de desplazamiento de la ladera y el colapso de las viviendas ahí ubicadas. Refiere que policías municipales ingresaron el 24 de octubre de 2025 a su propiedad sin permiso, situación que él asoció con el problema antedicho. Sin embargo, no ha recibido informe alguno.
III.Hechos probados. De importancia para la decisión de este asunto, se estiman como debidamente demostrados los siguientes hechos, sea porque así han sido acreditados o bien porque el recurrido haya omitido referirse a ellos, según lo prevenido en el auto inicial:
Las viviendas localizadas al costado oeste en el área de pendiente, margen derecha hasta la fecha no evidencian problemas asociados a inestabilidad de laderas. 6. Las viviendas localizadas al costado oeste son habitables hasta la fecha V. Recomendaciones 1. Construir en ambas márgenes obras de mitigación técnicamente bien diseñadas, por parte de los propietarios acorde con las disposiciones legales para estos casos. 2. Con respecto a las condiciones de la quebrada desde el punto de vista hidrológico o descargas de las aguas, corresponde a otros entes determinar y analizar las medidas a optar en el área con la finalidad de prevenir mayores afectaciones en las partes bajas”. (Ver informe rendido y prueba aportada).
Utilizando herramientas de Sistemas de Información Geográfica se delimitaron las zonas de protección de cuerpos de agua superficial con una distancia de 15 m a ambos lados del curso de agua, según lo establece el artículo 33 de la Ley Forestal N° 7575. Como resultado parte de la finca 487692 y la vivienda construida en el lugar están afectadas por el área de protección (figura 1). El retiro de cuerpos de agua podrá ser verificado con mayor certeza a solicitud del propietario a través del INVU. (…) 5.Durante una inspección de campo se observó un muro de llantas con relleno en la zona de protección del cuerpo de agua, margen izquierda colindante con la finca 487692 (fotografías 1 y 2). Se desconoce si las obras en cauce cuentan con el permiso de Dirección de Aguas. Estos muros construidos en el cauce de agua superficial y su área de protección evidencian una reducción del espacio para el paso de flujo de agua, por tal razón, se pudo haber generado erosión en profundidad afectado la base de los muros de llantas y su posterior desestabilización.
En la finca colindante con la margen derecha también se observa un muro de gaviones (fotografía 1). (…) 6. Existe aporte de aguas pluviales por un desfogue desde la Ruta Nacional 239. La competencia para atender la infraestructura vial nacional corresponde al CONAVI. Con base a la consulta al ingeniero de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial de la Municipalidad de Mora, existe un marco jurídico que permite desfogar aguas recolectadas en las cunetas de la infraestructura vial a puntos bajos y cuerpos de agua receptores…”. (Ver informe rendido y prueba aportada).
Lo anterior se ampara en lo estipulado por la Ley de Caminos Públicos #5060 en su artículo #20 el cual indica que “todos los poseedores de bienes raíces, por cualquier título, están obligados a recibir y dejar discurrir dentro de sus predios, las aguas de los caminos cuando así lo determine el desnivel del terreno y, cuando sus fundos estén inmediatos a los desagües de un camino, deberán mantener estos desagües limpios, en perfecto estado de servicio y libres de obstáculos…” Los retiros de aquellas obras que se construyen cerca de los causes de cuerpos de agua, dado el dinamismo tan cambiante de los ríos, es justamente para contemplar las variantes en los caudales, de ahí que se debe de respetar este tipo de obras y debe de mediar el permiso correspondiente para verificar que el retiro se respete y funcione de una forma correcta para evitar problemas, tanto de la falla de estos como la eventual obstrucción dentro del cauce del río.
Lo anterior quedó evidenciado en el informe adjunto MM-PM-341-2025, según visita realizada el pasado 28 de octubre de 2025. Finalmente, con todo lo antes expuesto, queda en evidencia que la Municipalidad de Mora no tiene ningún tipo de responsabilidad en lo que expone el señor Nombre129538, y más bien queda comprobado que las obras construidas por estas mismas personas fueran hechas sin ningún tipo de permiso ni respetando los retiros de ley, lo que provocó si (sic) fallo y más bien está obstruyendo el cauce normal de las aguas, lo que provoca una socavación mayor del cauce”. (Ver informe rendido y prueba aportada).
Por lo tanto, se reafirma que: 1. El CONAVI NO cerró ningún cauce natural ni desvió aguas. 2. Las cunetas de la RN-239 descargan en puntos de desfogue natural, determinados por la topografía. 3. El problema real está en la falta de infraestructura pluvial municipal en la calle cantonal, cuya pendiente y ausencia de obras provoca erosión y arrastre. 4. No existe nexo técnico ni causal entre las obras del CONAVI y los daños dentro de propiedades privadas o en la quebrada. 5. El sistema de drenaje nacional cumple su función y se encuentra en buen estado…”. (Ver informe rendido y prueba aportada).
IV.Sobre el caso concreto. En el sub examine, la parte recurrente el Conavi realizó trabajos de cuneteo en la ruta nacional 239 en 2012. Señala que, como consecuencia del redireccionamiento del agua, se han generado inundaciones y socavado la orilla de la quebrada Dirección10560, incluyendo la alcantarilla que sirve de puente a Dirección10546, la cual se encuentra a la entrada de su propiedad. Afirma que la situación fue comunicada por la Municipalidad de Mora al Conavi. Alega que se genera un riesgo de desplazamiento de la ladera y el colapso de las viviendas ahí ubicadas. Refiere que policías municipales ingresaron el 24 de octubre de 2025 a su propiedad sin permiso, situación que él asoció con el problema antedicho. Sin embargo, no ha recibido informe alguno.
Analizados los autos, la Sala tuvo por probado que el tutelado es propietario de la finca de la provincia de San José, matrícula 487692-000. El 24 de octubre de 2025, oficiales de la policía y funcionarios de la Municipalidad de Mora inspeccionaron el lugar de deslizamiento en Bajo Claros. En informe técnico CNE-UIAR-INF-1738-2025 de diciembre de 2025, la Unidad de Investigación y Análisis del Riesgo de la CNE señaló: “IV. Conclusiones 1. Existencia en ambas márgenes dos tipos de obras de protección, margen derecha gaviones que en una de sus secciones esta (sic) fallando y la otra la colocación de llantas en la margen izquierda que también esta desacoplado, ambas dentro de la zona de protección. 2. La propiedad con plano de catastro SJ-0502320-1998, Finca 487692, ubicado en el distrito de Guayabo, Dirección10548, Bajo Claras, Dirección10546, evidencia una colocación de llantas paralelo a la propiedad posiblemente efectuadas para la protección de la erosión. 3.
La construcción o vivienda directamente (SJ-0502320-1998, Finca 487692), no está expuesta directamente por efectos de erosión debido a las condiciones indicadas en el punto 2. 4. La obra de contención “gavión” efectuada para la protección de la erosión de la margen derecha al inicio presenta un fallo estructural. 5. Las viviendas localizadas al costado oeste en el área de pendiente, margen derecha hasta la fecha no evidencian problemas asociados a inestabilidad de laderas. 6. Las viviendas localizadas al costado oeste son habitables hasta la fecha V. Recomendaciones 1. Construir en ambas márgenes obras de mitigación técnicamente bien diseñadas, por parte de los propietarios acorde con las disposiciones legales para estos casos. 2. Con respecto a las condiciones de la quebrada desde el punto de vista hidrológico o descargas de las aguas, corresponde a otros entes determinar y analizar las medidas a optar en el área con la finalidad de prevenir mayores afectaciones en las partes bajas”.
Mediante informe nro. UTGV-0785-2025 del 5 de diciembre de 2025, el geólogo de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial de la Municipalidad de Mora señaló: “En atención a su solicitud para responder recurso de amparo con EXPEDIENTE: N° 25-036859- 0007-CO, indico lo siguiente para el caso específico de la finca 487692: 1. El mapa de amenazas naturales de la Municipalidad de Mora (figura 1) no registra deslizamientos activos que afecten la propiedad. Los procesos erosivos más cercanos a la finca se localizan a 90 m con dirección noreste, corresponden con reptación leve, pero no afectan a la finca 487692. 2. Con base al inventario de la red vial cantonal, la calle de acceso a la finca 487692 no se encuentra codificada, por lo tanto, no pueden asignarse fondos de la Ley 8114 para intervenirla (figura 1). 3. Se identifica un cuerpo de agua superficial registrado como intermitente en los archivos del Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial (SNIT) y en el visor público del Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Recurso Hídrico (SINIGIRH) del Departamento de Aguas del MINAE (figuras 1 y 2). 4.
Utilizando herramientas de Sistemas de Información Geográfica se delimitaron las zonas de protección de cuerpos de agua superficial con una distancia de 15 m a ambos lados del curso de agua, según lo establece el artículo 33 de la Ley Forestal N° 7575. Como resultado parte de la finca 487692 y la vivienda construida en el lugar están afectadas por el área de protección (figura 1). El retiro de cuerpos de agua podrá ser verificado con mayor certeza a solicitud del propietario a través del INVU. (…) 5.Durante una inspección de campo se observó un muro de llantas con relleno en la zona de protección del cuerpo de agua, margen izquierda colindante con la Dirección10547 (fotografías 1 y 2). Se desconoce si las obras en cauce cuentan con el permiso de Dirección de Aguas. Estos muros construidos en el cauce de agua superficial y su área de protección evidencian una reducción del espacio para el paso de flujo de agua, por tal razón, se pudo haber generado erosión en profundidad afectado la base de los muros de llantas y su posterior desestabilización.
En la finca colindante con la margen derecha también se observa un muro de gaviones (fotografía 1). (…) 6. Existe aporte de aguas pluviales por un desfogue desde la Ruta Nacional 239. La competencia para atender la infraestructura vial nacional corresponde al CONAVI. Con base a la consulta al ingeniero de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial de la Municipalidad de Mora, existe un marco jurídico que permite desfogar aguas recolectadas en las cunetas de la infraestructura vial a puntos bajos y cuerpos de agua receptores…”. Mediante informe UTGV-0787-2025 del 9 de diciembre de 2025, el director de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial de la Municipalidad de Mora indicó: “…Conclusiones: Si bien es cierto los trabajos tienen que ver con el tema de caminos y las aguas que derivan de estos, las obras provienen de una ruta nacional que, como bien lo indica la Ley de Caminos Públicos, al ser una Ruta Nacional, la misma es de entera responsabilidad del MOPT/CONAVI; y no de la Municipalidad, aunque se encuentre dentro del Cantón de Mora.
Además, las aguas están dirigidas a un cuerpo de agua identificado como tal en los archivos del Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial (SNIT) y en el visor público del Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Recurso Hídrico (SINIGIRH) del Departamento de Aguas del MINAE; que cruzan lotes privados y un camino que no forma parte de la Red Vial Cantonal de esta Municipalidad. Lo anterior se ampara en lo estipulado por la Ley de Caminos Públicos #5060 en su artículo #20 el cual indica que “todos los poseedores de bienes raíces, por cualquier título, están obligados a recibir y dejar discurrir dentro de sus predios, las aguas de los caminos cuando así lo determine el desnivel del terreno y, cuando sus fundos estén inmediatos a los desagües de un camino, deberán mantener estos desagües limpios, en perfecto estado de servicio y libres de obstáculos…” Los retiros de aquellas obras que se construyen cerca de los causes de cuerpos de agua, dado el dinamismo tan cambiante de los ríos, es justamente para contemplar las variantes en los caudales, de ahí que se debe de respetar este tipo de obras y debe de mediar el permiso correspondiente para verificar que el retiro se respete y funcione de una forma correcta para evitar problemas, tanto de la falla de estos como la eventual obstrucción dentro del cauce del río.
Lo anterior quedó evidenciado en el informe adjunto MM-PM-341-2025, según visita realizada el pasado 28 de octubre de 2025. Finalmente, con todo lo antes expuesto, queda en evidencia que la Municipalidad de Mora no tiene ningún tipo de responsabilidad en lo que expone el señor Nombre129538, y más bien queda comprobado que las obras construidas por estas mismas personas fueran hechas sin ningún tipo de permiso ni respetando los retiros de ley, lo que provocó si (sic) fallo y más bien está obstruyendo el cauce normal de las aguas, lo que provoca una socavación mayor del cauce”. En oficio CARTA-CONAVI-CA-DIE-GCSV-DRC-196-2025 del 9 de diciembre de 2025, la gerencia de Conservación de Vías y Puentes del Conavi indicó: “…2. Las obras del CONAVI no generaron el aumento de caudal en la quebrada. El CONAVI no aumentó, no desvió y no recondujo artificialmente el flujo de escorrentías. El agua que llega a la quebrada proviene del desfogue histórico y natural del terreno.
Sobre el daño ambiental No existe evidencia técnica que vincule • Las cunetas de la RN-239 con el derrumbe de gaviones, deslizamientos, socavación de laderas o colapso de viviendas en las propiedades privadas del sector. Por el contrario, los informes señalan: • La saturación de suelos y erosión ocurren dentro de propiedad privada, sin relación con ninguna intervención de la Ruta Nacional. • Las laderas fallan por procesos naturales, ausencia de obras municipales, autoconstrucciones, y la ubicación de viviendas a escasos metros del borde de la quebrada, tal como muestran las fotografías del expediente. Por lo tanto, se reafirma que: 1. El CONAVI NO cerró ningún cauce natural ni desvió aguas. 2. Las cunetas de la Dirección10562 descargan en puntos de desfogue natural, determinados por la topografía. 3. El problema real está en la falta de infraestructura pluvial municipal en la calle cantonal, cuya pendiente y ausencia de obras provoca erosión y arrastre. 4.
No existe nexo técnico ni causal entre las obras del CONAVI y los daños dentro de propiedades privadas o en la quebrada. 5. El sistema de drenaje nacional cumple su función y se encuentra en buen estado…”.
Según se extrae de tales elementos, en lo que respecta a los trabajos realizados por el Conavi en 2012 en las cunetas de la Dirección10544, esa instancia rechazó cualquier vínculo entre tales trabajos y el problema denunciado por el recurrente, indicando que “Las cunetas de la RN-239 descargan en puntos de desfogue natural, determinados por la topografía…”.
De manera análoga, la Municipalidad de Mora señaló: “…las aguas están dirigidas a un cuerpo de agua identificado como tal en los archivos del Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial (SNIT) y en el visor público del Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Recurso Hídrico (SINIGIRH) del Departamento de Aguas del MINAE; que cruzan lotes privados y un camino que no forma parte de la Red Vial Cantonal de esta Municipalidad. Lo anterior se ampara en lo estipulado por la Ley de Caminos Públicos #5060 en su artículo #20 el cual indica que “todos los poseedores de bienes raíces, por cualquier título, están obligados a recibir y dejar discurrir dentro de sus predios, las aguas de los caminos cuando así lo determine el desnivel del terreno y, cuando sus fundos estén inmediatos a los desagües de un camino, deberán mantener estos desagües limpios, en perfecto estado de servicio y libres de obstáculos…”. Esa instancia, más bien, apuntó a la responsabilidad de los propietarios vecinos “…que las obras construidas por estas mismas personas fueran hechas sin ningún tipo de permiso ni respetando los retiros de ley, lo que provocó si (sic) fallo y más bien está obstruyendo el cauce normal de las aguas, lo que provoca una socavación mayor del cauce…”.
También reviste importancia que la CNE indicara, con respecto al inmueble del amparado: “…La construcción o vivienda directamente (SJ-0502320-1998, Dirección10547), no está expuesta directamente por efectos de erosión…”, toda vez que se descarta que exista un riesgo de colapso de su vivienda, como afirma.
En resumen, no se demuestra un vínculo entre las obras del Conavi y el daño alegado por el tutelado. Según se desprende de los informes rendidos y prueba aportada, las aguas discurren a causa del desnivel local y en los puntos de desfogue naturales. No se extrae peligro para las personas o cosas y, más bien, se atribuye a los vecinos la construcción de obras en las áreas de retiro y sin permisos. En ese tanto, se descarta una lesión a los derechos fundamentales del justiciable.
En lo que respecta al supuesto ingreso de oficiales a su propiedad, podrá el interesado presentar las denuncias que estime necesarias, en caso de que estime que se cometió algún delito.
En tesis de principio, considero que los casos relacionados con la inactividad de la Administración Pública en la reparación, construcción, modificación o demolición de cualquier obra de infraestructura deben ser desestimados, por constituir, esa omisión, un tema de legalidad, cuya discusión corresponde a la jurisdicción ordinaria, ante la cual la persona interesada puede debatir, con mayor amplitud, sus disconformidades. Sin embargo, cuando de aquella conducta administrativa omisiva se derive alguna violación a otros derechos fundamentales tutelados en esta jurisdicción constitucional, o se afecten grupos considerados vulnerables, sí entro a conocer el fondo del asunto, por constituir esta situación una excepción a mi posición en esta materia, tal y como sucede en este caso, en que la parte recurrente acusa haber denunciado, ante las autoridades recurridas, la problemática generada por el redireccionamiento de las aguas, producto de las labores de cuneteo realizadas sobre la Ruta Nacional N°230, pero que presuntamente no ha sido atendido por las autoridades competentes en un plazo prudencial.
VI.Documentación aportada al expediente. Se previene a las partes que, de haber aportado algún documento en papel u objetos o pruebas contenidos en algún dispositivo adicional de carácter electrónico, informático, magnético, óptico, telemático o producido por nuevas tecnologías, estos deberán ser retirados en un plazo máximo de 30 días hábiles, contado a partir de la notificación de esta sentencia. Se advierte que será destruido todo material que no sea recogido dentro de ese lapso, con base en el "Reglamento sobre Expediente Electrónico ante el Poder Judicial" (aprobado por la Corte Plena en el artículo XXVI de la sesión nro. 27-11 de 22 de agosto de 2011 y publicado en el Boletín Judicial nro. 19 del 26 de enero de 2012) y en el artículo LXXXI de la sesión del Consejo Superior del Poder Judicial nro. 43-12 de 3 de mayo de 2012.
Por tanto:
Se declara sin lugar el recurso. El magistrado Salazar Alvarado pone nota.
Fernando Castillo V.
Fernando Cruz C.
Paul Rueda L.
Luis Fdo. Salazar A.
Jorge Araya G.
Anamari Garro V.
Ingrid Hess H.
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