Amparo for dust from unpaved road and its impact on the right to health and a healthy environmentAmparo por polvo de calle sin asfaltar y su impacto en el derecho a la salud y al ambiente sano

* 080029780007CO * CONSTITUTIONAL CHAMBER OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE. San José, at ten hours and twelve minutes of May sixteenth, two thousand eight.

Amparo action filed by BERNAN HIDALGO MORA, ELIETH HIDALGO FALLAS, EUYANID ABARCA HIDALGO, HANNIA ABARCA HIDALGO, JEANNETTE HIDALGO NAVARRO AND LUIS GARRO HIDALGO, in that order holders of identity card numbers 0102400817, 0106490318, 0109640025, 0107660419, 0105730908 and 0605330486, against the MINISTERIO DE OBRAS PÚBLICAS Y TRANSPORTES AND THE MUNICIPALIDAD DE DESAMPARADOS.

Resultando:

1. 1By brief received in the Secretariat of the Chamber at 9:12 hours on February 11, 2008, the petitioners file an amparo action against the MINISTERIO DE OBRAS PÚBLICAS Y TRANSPORTES and the MUNICIPALIDAD DE DESAMPARADOS. They state that since 2005, the residents of Calle Hidalgo in El Rosario de Desamparados organized themselves in order to fight for the paving of a half-kilometer stretch of that road. To begin, they sought the help of the Municipalidad which provided it to meet, for the second time, the requirements requested by the MOPT. At this moment, the road is completely cemented but, as so much time has passed, it has been dug up and many potholes have formed. They assert that three days of summer are enough for a great dust cloud to rise, which is causing serious health problems, especially in children and adolescents, causing absences from kindergarten, schools, and high schools due to allergies, "rhinitis," or asthma.It was supposed that such a project would be taken into account according to agreement No. 12-M-C-01-03-076-2007, since it is a priority in the area. On some occasions, both verbally and in writing, they have presented the problem described to the Deputy Mayor, who carries the message to the respondent municipalidad, which in turn sends a note to the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes; however, an effective solution has not yet been provided. Therefore, they consider their constitutional right to health violated and request that this amparo be granted.
2. 2Karla González Carvajal, in her capacity as Minister of Obras Públicas y Transportes, reports under oath (folio 31) that through memorandum number DM-0548-08 of February 14, 2008, she instructed the Legal Directorate of that ministry to gather the necessary information regarding this matter. In official communication number 20080767 of February 14, 2008, that Dependency requested Lic. Alejandro Molina Solís, Executive Director of the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad, to indicate whether the road in question corresponded to a national route. The foregoing because the Ley de Creación del CONAVI establishes that the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad is an organ with maximum deconcentration, attached to the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, which enjoys instrumental and budgetary legal personality to administer the National Road Network Fund, for which purpose article 4 subsection a) assigns it the following: "a) 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 Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes." Likewise, through official communication number 20080767-A of February 15, 2008, the Legal Directorate requested Lic. Marvin Cordero Soto, Director of the Municipal Management Directorate, to report on the existence of the agreement mentioned by the amparo petitioners, as well as the status of said procedure in the event a document existed in which it was intended, by that means, to repair Calle Hidalgo in El Rosario de Desamparados.She clarifies that this Directorate is responsible for drafting the agreement projects between the Ministry and the different municipalidades. Through official communication number DGM-0097-2008 of February 18, 2008, Lic. Guillermo Badilla Jiménez, Deputy Director of the Municipal Management Directorate, indicated, in points 6 and 7 of that writing, that “in a meeting held this morning in the Office of the Vice-Minister of Obras Públicas, with the presence of the aforementioned official, the Mayor and Municipal Engineer of Desamparados as well as Engineer Humberto León, it has been decided to give urgent and immediate priority to said project, for which instructions were issued to the Director of Region 1.”…. ”The foregoing once the problems of supply of materials such as stone 1024 are resolved and the authorizations for the entry of our trucks to withdraw asphalt materials at Recope are obtained." In the cited report, the Municipal Management Directorate admitted that on December 13, 2005, Agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005 had been formalized by the Legal Directorate of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes with the Municipalidad de Desamparados, the objective of which was the production and placement of asphalt with a covering of a thin layer of 3 centimeters thickness on 500 linear meters of Calle Hidalgo, located in El Rosario de Desamparados.Similarly, on June 16, 2006, that Directorate signed addendum number 1 to the cited agreement, in order to extend the execution period by six months, which is why it concludes that the Ministry has provided timely attention to the maintenance and repair of the reference road, with no evidence of a lack of attention or neglect in that area. In this way, the satisfaction of the public interest was addressed by the Ministry, since in coordination with the Municipalidad de Desamparados the agreement in question was signed and the reference work was carried out. Regarding the report that the Executive Directorate of the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad was to provide, it is noted that through official communication number DE08-0464 of February 15, 2008, Lic. Molina Solís referred the matter under analysis to Engineer Adalid Villanea Calvo, an official of the Inspection Organization Unit of the Department of Road Conservation Projects of CONAVI, for its due attention and subsequent report, which is why once that documentation is available, it will be remitted to the Constitutional Court, since otherwise the three-day period granted to the Ministry to render the report related to the amparo would expire.She affirms that the Municipal Management Directorate, in coordination with the competent authorities of the Municipalidad de Desamparados, is executing the pertinent actions in order to address, on a priority basis, the project for the placement of asphalt on Calle Hidalgo, located in El Rosario in Desamparados, in accordance with the available budgetary, technical, and human possibilities, which is why she considers that no constitutional guarantee has been violated. She requests that the amparo be dismissed.
3. 3Maureen Fallas Fallas and José Rafael Garro Fallas, in that order Mayor and second Substitute Mayor of the Municipalidad de Desamparados, report under oath (folio 45) that this municipal corporation, as the local government responsible for administering local services and interests on behalf of the administered, among whose functions is the maintenance of the cantonal road network, has signed various agreements with the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes for this purpose, since the budgeted municipal resources to fully comply with that task are insufficient. In the instant case, the road where the petitioners live, known as "Calle Hidalgo" and located in the Distrito del Rosario de Desamparados, is a local road. Originally, it only had a ballast roadway as it was a rural road. However, the neighbors requested that the road be improved. In this regard, the Municipalidad de Desamparados, in the year 2005, signed Agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005 with the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, the object of which was the placement and production of asphalt with a covering of a thin layer of 3 centimeters thickness over 500 linear meters of that road.Derived from the fact that by mid-2006, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes had not yet executed the commitments acquired in the agreement, on June 16, 2006, addendum number 1 was signed to the same, in order to extend the period to six months. Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit of Road Management of the Municipalidad de Desamparados, through official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 of December 13, 2006, based on the municipal resource, remitted to Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, the work execution schedule for the projects under agreement with that ministry, so that that directorate would schedule the paving with asphalt mix. Said schedule included the agreement for the paving of Calle Hidalgo; however, to date, for reasons that are not recorded in the file and are unknown, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes has failed to comply with the obligations acquired, which has resulted in the improvement works to the mentioned road not yet being satisfactorily completed.Despite the fact that the execution of the cited agreement could not be completed and due to the insistence of our represented party, around mid-2007, the concrete cementing of the road was carried out, in a 500-meter section, in order to stabilize the base of the road and be able, once the commitments acquired by the ministry in the reference agreement were fulfilled, to place the paving managed by the petitioners; however, as a consequence of the non-compliance by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, it has not been possible to proceed in accordance. On August 9, 2007, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit of Road Management, through official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, requested Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, to modify the commented agreement, since the cement stabilization works on the base were causing health problems for the neighbors, which would be eradicated by carrying out the road resurfacing (recarpeteo) works.However, to date no response has been received, nor has the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes complied with what was established in the agreement. They assert that the Municipalidad has made enormous efforts aimed at the paving of Calle Hidalgo, a situation that even the petitioners recognize in the amparo filing brief; however, this goal has not been concretized, because the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes has not fully complied with what was agreed in Agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005. They request that the amparo be declared without merit with respect to the Municipalidad, and that the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes be ordered to respect the referenced agreement.
4. 4In addition to the report visible at folio 31, Susana López Rivera, in her capacity as Legal Director of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, reports under oath (folio 50) that through official communication number 20080767 of February 14, 2008, Engineer Alejandro Molina Solís, Executive Director of the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad, was requested to indicate whether Calle Hidalgo, located in El Rosario de Desamparados, corresponded to a national route. In official communication number DE08-0545 of February 20, 2008, Molina Solís indicated that this road corresponded to a cantonal route. She adds that in the case of cantonal routes, the Ministry helps the different municipalidades in the repair and maintenance of those roads, in accordance with the respective agreements that are signed.
5. 5In the proceedings followed, the legal requirements have been observed.

Redacted by Magistrate Armijo Sancho; and,

Considerando:

I.Proven facts. Of importance for the decision of this matter, the following facts are deemed duly proven, either because they have been so accredited or because the respondent has omitted to refer to them as provided in the initial order:

• a)On December 13, 2005, the Municipalidad de Desamparados and the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes formalized Agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, the object of which is the placement and production of asphalt with a covering of a thin layer of 3 centimeters thickness over 500 linear meters of "Calle Hidalgo," located in the Distrito del Rosario de Desamparados (copy at folios 12 to 25).
• b)Calle Hidalgo is a cantonal road (uncontroverted fact).
• c)In the aforementioned agreement, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes committed to making a series of contributions in the amount of ¢2,646,919.80, while the value of the contribution by the Municipalidad de Desamparados amounted to ¢2,844,958.80 (copy at folio 24).
• d)Because the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes failed to comply with the commitments acquired in the aforementioned agreement, on June 16, 2006, addendum number 1 to the same was signed, in order to extend the period to six months (report under oath at folio 46).
• e)The closure of the Colima asphalt plant caused a delay until it was reopened on November 27, 2006 (copy at folio 42).
• f)Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit of Road Management of the Municipalidad de Desamparados, through official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 of December 13, 2006, remitted to Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, the work execution schedule for the projects agreed upon with that ministry, among which was the paving with asphalt mix including Calle Hidalgo (report under oath at folio 46).
• g)Around mid-2007, the concrete cementing of the road was carried out, in a 500-meter section, in order to stabilize the base of the road, so that subsequently the paving could be placed on Calle Hidalgo (report under oath at folio 46).
• h)In a note dated July 24, 2007, the petitioners, neighbors of Calle Hidalgo, complained to the Mayor of Desamparados that said road had become a cloud of cement dust, which caused allergies, rhinitis, and asthma in the adjoining residents (copy at folio 8).
• i)The Municipalidad de Desamparados verified the problems referred to by the neighbors of Calle Hidalgo (copies at folios 9 and 10).
• j)On August 9, 2007, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit of Road Management, through official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, requested Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, to modify the commented agreement, since the cement stabilization works on the base were causing health problems for the neighbors, which would be eradicated by carrying out the road resurfacing (recarpeteo) works (report under oath at folio 46).
• k)In a meeting on February 18, 2008, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes decided to give priority to the project for the paving of Calle Hidalgo (copy at folio 43).

II.On the merits. The Constitutional Chamber, on other occasions, has developed the scope of the rights enshrined in articles 21 and 50 of the Political Constitution. Particularly illustrative is what was resolved in judgment Nº 2003-01228, of 10:23 hrs. of February 14, 2003:

"IV.- On the right to a healthy environment and the right to health.- It has been widely recognized by this Constitutional Court that the attention that the right to health deserves, even if it is not expressly recognized in the Magna Carta, is inevitably drawn from the right to life protected by article 21, which states "Human life is inviolable"; which is not possible without a recognition of the right to a healthy and balanced environment, enshrined in article 50 of the Constitution:

"ARTICULO 50. The State shall procure the greatest well-being for all the inhabitants of the country, organizing and stimulating production and the most adequate distribution of wealth.

Every person has the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. Therefore, they are entitled to denounce acts that infringe that right and to claim reparation for the damage caused.

The State shall guarantee, defend, and preserve that right. The law shall determine the corresponding responsibilities and sanctions." In this way, it is of interest to take up again some considerations regarding this point, issued on previous occasions by this Constitutional Court:

"III.- On the right. Article 50 of the Political Constitution establishes that every person has the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. The right to a healthy environment has a broad content that is equivalent to the aspiration of improving the living environment of the human being, in a manner that goes beyond natural conservation criteria to locate itself within every sphere in which the person develops, be it family, work, or the environment in which they live. Hence, it is affirmed that it is a transversal right, that is, one that moves throughout the entire legal system, modeling and reinterpreting its institutes. The environment is defined by the Real Academia Española de la Lengua as the 'set of physical circumstances that surround living beings,' which further emphasizes the general character of the right. In contrast, the right to an ecologically balanced environment is a more restricted concept referring to an important part of that environment in which the human being develops, to the balance that must exist between the progress of society and the conservation of natural resources.

Both rights are expressly recognized in article 50 of the Political Constitution, which outlines the Social State of Law. The location of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment within the constitutional regulations of the Social State of Law is the point from which it must be analyzed. The Social State of Law produces the phenomenon of incorporating into the fundamental text a series of political objectives of great social relevance and the introduction of an important number of social rights that ensure the common good and the satisfaction of the basic needs of people. In this perspective, the Political Constitution emphasizes that the protection of natural resources is an adequate means to protect and improve the quality of life for all, which makes necessary the intervention of public powers over factors that may alter the balance of natural resources and, more broadly, hinder the person from developing and functioning in a healthy environment.

In the same way that the principle of the Social State of Law is of immediate application, the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment is also, so it manifests itself in the dual aspect of a subjective right of persons and configuration as a goal or end of the action of public powers in general. The incidence that the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment has within the activity of the State, finds its first reason for being in that by definition rights are not limited to the private sphere of individuals but also have transcendence in the very structure of the State in its role as guarantor of the same and, secondly, because the activity of the State is directed towards the satisfaction of the interests of the collectivity. The Political Constitution establishes that the State must guarantee, defend, and preserve that right. Prima facie, to guarantee is to assure and protect the right against some risk or need, to defend is to forbid, prohibit, and impede any activity that threatens the right, and to preserve is an action directed at safeguarding the right in advance from possible dangers in order to make it endure for future generations.

The State must assume a double behavior of doing and not doing; on one hand, it must refrain from attacking the right to have a healthy and ecologically balanced environment itself, and on the other hand, it must assume the task of dictating the measures that allow compliance with constitutional requirements." (Judgment number 00644-99 of eleven hours twenty-four minutes of January twenty-ninth, nineteen ninety-nine; in the same sense, see number 4947-2002 of nine hours and twenty-four minutes of May twenty-fourth, two thousand two) Likewise, in a recent judgment, a factual situation similar to the one now known was heard, stating what is relevant:

"Our Political Constitution, in its article 50, expressly recognizes the right of all present and future inhabitants of this country to enjoy a healthy and perfectly balanced environment. Compliance with this requirement is a fundamental guarantee for the protection of public life and health, not only of Costa Ricans, but also of all members of the world community. The violation of these fundamental precepts entails the possibility of injury or endangerment of short, medium, and long-term interests. Pollution of the environment is one of the ways through which the integrity of the environment can be broken, with results that are most often imperishable and cumulative. The Costa Rican State is obligated to act preventively, avoiding – through oversight and direct intervention – the performance of acts that harm the environment, and in the correlative and equally unavoidable prohibition of fostering its degradation" (Judgment number 2002-04830 of sixteen hours of May twenty-first, two thousand, criterion reiterated in judgment 2002-8996 of ten hours and fourteen minutes of September sixth, two thousand two)." In the sub exámine, it is proven that on December 13, 2005, the Municipalidad de Desamparados and the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes formalized Agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005.

The object of this legal transaction is the placement and production of asphalt with a covering of a thin layer of 3 centimeters thickness over 500 linear meters of Calle Hidalgo, located in the Distrito del Rosario de Desamparados. This road is of a cantonal nature, so its maintenance concerns the Municipalidad de Desamparados, pursuant to the provisions of numeral 1 of the Ley General de Caminos Públicos. However, by virtue of the aforementioned agreement, the responsibility is shared with the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes. In this regard, article 7 subsection b) of the Reglamento al Artículo 5 inciso b) de la Ley de Simplificación y Eficiencia Tributarias sobre la Inversión Pública en la Red Vial Cantonal (Decreto Ejecutivo número 30263-MOPT of March 5, 2002), regulates the modality of execution of works by agreement with the participation of communities, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, and other organizations; likewise, article 16 subsection k) of said regulation establishes that the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes shall be responsible for "maintaining available, through the Division of Public Works, a basic fleet of machinery and equipment, which allows regionally resolving emergency situations, specialized studies, and possible projects of national interest." Precisely, in the aforementioned agreement, that ministry committed to making a series of contributions in the amount of ¢2,646,919.80, while the value of the contribution by the Municipalidad de Desamparados amounted to ¢2,844,958.80.

Despite this, the Ministry failed to comply with the acquired commitments, which made it necessary to extend the term of the agreement by six months. Subsequently, certainly, a delay occurred due to the closure of the Colima asphalt plant; however, that plant was reopened on November 27, 2006. Then, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit of Road Management of the Municipalidad de Desamparados, through official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 of December 13, 2006, remitted to Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, the work execution schedule for the projects under agreement with that ministry, so that the paving with asphalt mix would be scheduled, including Calle Hidalgo. However, it was not until mid-2007 that the concrete cementing of the road was carried out, in a 500-meter section, in order to stabilize the base of the road, so that subsequently the paving could be placed on Calle Hidalgo.

To date, the paving has not been carried out and, worse still, the cementing is generating dust clouds with harmful effects for the neighbors, as confirmed by the Municipalidad de Desamparados itself, a situation that motivated those affected to file a complaint before that municipal corporation on July 24, 2007. In reaction, on August 9, 2007, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit of Road Management, through official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, requested Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, to modify the commented agreement, since the cement stabilization works on the base were causing health problems for the neighbors, which would be eliminated with the road resurfacing (recarpeteo) works. Despite this, it was not until the occasion of this constitutionality process that, in a meeting on February 18, 2008, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes decided to give priority to the project for the paving of Calle Hidalgo.

By virtue of the foregoing, it is clear that the inertia of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes has caused significant problems for the petitioners, in open discordance with the constitutional rights to a healthy environment and to health, since it has been directly responsible for the delay in the execution of Agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, signed more than two years ago but still not fully executed. Indeed, as indicated, the cementing work carried out in mid-2007 - only a phase prior to the paving - has caused even more problems for the neighbors, due to the dust clouds it causes, without this situation having yet been remedied, precisely because of the non-execution of the referenced agreement due to the inaction of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes. Hence, the amparo is entirely well-founded.

Therefore:

The appeal is granted. Karla González Carvajal and Marvin Cordero Soto, in their respective capacities as Minister and Director of Municipal Management of the Division of Public Works, both of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT), or whomever holds those positions, are ordered, within their spheres of competence, to issue the respective orders and carry out the acts required for that ministry to provide the materials, equipment, and machinery stipulated in agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, for the paving of Calle Hidalgo located in El Rosario de Desamparados, within a period of one month from the notification of this ruling, under warning that, based on the provisions of Article 71 of the Ley de la Jurisdicción Constitucional, imprisonment of three months to two years, or a fine of twenty to sixty days, will be imposed on anyone who receives an order that must be complied with or enforced, issued in an amparo appeal, and does not comply with it or enforce it, provided the crime is not more severely penalized.

The State is ordered to pay the costs, damages, and losses caused by the facts serving as the basis for this declaration, which shall be liquidated in the execution of the judgment of the contentious-administrative proceeding. This resolution shall be personally notified to Karla González Carvajal and Marvin Cordero Soto, in their respective capacities as Minister and Director of Municipal Management of the Division of Public Works, both of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, or to whomever holds those positions.- Adrián Vargas B. Acting Presiding Judge Luis Paulino Mora M. Gilbert Armijo S.

Fernando Cruz C. Federico Sosto L.

Rosa María Abdelnour G. Roxana Salazar C.

Both rights are expressly recognized in Article 50 of the Political Constitution, which outlines the Social State of Law. The placement of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment within the constitutional regulations of the Social State of Law is the point from which it must be analyzed. The Social State of Law produces the phenomenon of incorporating into the fundamental text a series of political objectives of great social relevance and the introduction of an important number of social rights that ensure the common good and the satisfaction of people's basic needs. From this perspective, the Political Constitution emphasizes that the protection of natural resources is an adequate means to safeguard and improve the quality of life for all, which makes necessary the intervention of public authorities regarding factors that can alter the balance of natural resources and, more broadly, hinder a person's development and life in a healthy environment.

Just as the principle of the Social State of Law is of immediate application, the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment is also, so that it manifests in the dual aspect of a subjective right of individuals and as a goal or purpose of the action of public authorities in general. The impact that the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment has within State activity finds its primary reason in that, by definition, rights are not limited to the private sphere of individuals but also have transcendence in the very structure of the State in its role as guarantor thereof, and secondly, because the State's activity is directed towards the satisfaction of the community's interests. The Political Constitution establishes that the State must guarantee, defend, and preserve that right. Prima facie, to guarantee is to secure and protect the right against any risk or necessity, to defend is to prohibit, ban, and impede any activity that threatens the right, and to preserve is an action directed at sheltering the right in advance from possible dangers in order to make it endure for future generations.

The State must assume a dual behavior of acting and refraining from acting; on one hand, it must refrain from itself threatening the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, and on the other hand, it must undertake the task of issuing the measures that allow compliance with constitutional requirements." (Judgment number 00644-99 of eleven hours twenty-four minutes on the twenty-ninth of January, nineteen ninety-nine; in the same sense, see number 4947-2002 of nine hours twenty-four minutes on the twenty-fourth of May, two thousand two) Similarly, in a recent judgment, a factual situation similar to the one being considered at this time was addressed, stating as relevant:

"Our Political Constitution, in its Article 50, expressly recognizes the right of all present and future inhabitants of this country to enjoy a healthy and perfectly balanced environment. Compliance with this requirement is a fundamental guarantee for the protection of public life and health, not only of Costa Ricans but also of all members of the global community. The violation of these fundamental precepts carries the possibility of injury or endangerment of short, medium, and long-term interests. Environmental pollution is one of the forms through which the integrity of the environment can be broken, with results that are most often permanent and cumulative. The Costa Rican State is under the obligation to act preventively, avoiding—through oversight and direct intervention—the commission of acts that harm the environment, and in the correlative and equally unavoidable prohibition against fostering its degradation" (Judgment number 2002-04830 of sixteen hours on the twenty-first of May, two thousand, criterion reiterated in judgment 2002-8996 of ten hours fourteen minutes on the sixth of September, two thousand two)." In the case under examination, it has been proven that on December 13, 2005, the Municipality of Desamparados and the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes) formalized agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005.

The object of this legal transaction is the placement and production of asphalt with a thin layer coating 3 centimeters thick over 500 linear meters of Calle Hidalgo, located in the Rosario District of Desamparados. This road is of a cantonal nature, so its maintenance concerns the Municipality of Desamparados, in accordance with the provisions of numeral 1 of the General Law of Public Roads (Ley General de Caminos Públicos). However, by virtue of the aforementioned agreement, responsibility is shared with the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes). In this regard, Article 7, subsection b) of the Regulation to Article 5, subsection b) of the Law of Tax Simplification and Efficiency on Public Investment in the Cantonal Road Network (Decreto Ejecutivo number 30263-MOPT of March 5, 2002), regulates the modality of execution of works by agreement with the participation of communities, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes), and other organizations; likewise, Article 16, subsection k) of said regulation establishes that the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes) will be in charge of “maintaining available, through the Division of Public Works, a basic fleet of machinery and equipment that allows regionally solving emergency situations, specialized studies, and possible projects of national interest.” Precisely, in the above-cited agreement, that ministry committed to making a series of contributions in the amount of ¢2,646,919.80, while the value of the contribution by the Municipality of Desamparados amounted to ¢2,844,958.80.

Despite this, the Ministry breached the commitments made, which forced an extension of the agreement's term by six months. Subsequently, there was indeed a delay due to the closure of the Colima asphalt plant; however, that plant was reopened on November 27, 2006. Later, Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management of the Municipality of Desamparados, by official letter number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 of December 13, 2006, sent to Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes), the work execution schedule for the projects under agreement with that ministry, so that paving with asphalt mix could be scheduled, including Calle Hidalgo. However, it was not until mid-2007 that concrete cementation of the road was carried out, on a 500-meter stretch, in order to stabilize the road base, so that, subsequently, the asphalt paving could be placed on Calle Hidalgo.

To date, the asphalt paving has not been carried out and, worse still, the cementation is generating dust clouds with harmful effects on the neighbors, as confirmed by the Municipality of Desamparados itself, a situation that prompted the affected parties to file a complaint before that municipal corporation on July 24, 2007. In reaction, on August 9, 2007, Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management, by official letter number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, requested Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes), to modify the agreement under discussion, since the stabilization works using cement on the base were causing health problems for the neighbors, which would be eliminated with the resurfacing works on the road. Despite this, it was not until the occasion of this constitutional process, in a meeting on February 18, 2008, that the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes) decided to give priority to the asphalt paving project for Calle Hidalgo.

By virtue of the foregoing, it is clear that the inertia of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes) has caused significant problems for the petitioners, in open discordance with the constitutional rights to a healthy environment and to health, since it has been directly responsible for the delay in the execution of agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, signed more than two years ago but still not fully executed. Indeed, as indicated, the cementing work carried out in mid-2007—only a phase prior to the asphalt paving—has caused the neighbors even more problems, due to the dust clouds it produces, without this situation having yet been remedied, precisely because of the non-execution of the referenced agreement due to the inaction of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes). Hence, the amparo is entirely appropriate.

Por tanto:

The appeal is granted. Karla González Carvajal and Marvin Cordero Soto, in their respective order Minister and Director of Municipal Management of the Division of Public Works, both of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes), or whoever holds those positions, are ordered, within their spheres of competence, to issue the respective orders and carry out the required acts so that this ministry provides the materials, equipment, and machinery established in agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, aimed at the asphalt paving of Calle Hidalgo located in El Rosario de Desamparados, within a period of one month counted from the notification of this pronouncement, under warning that based on the provisions of Article 71 of the Law of Constitutional Jurisdiction (Ley de la Jurisdicción Constitucional), imprisonment of three months to two years, or a fine of twenty to sixty days, will be imposed on anyone who receives an order that must be complied with or enforced, issued in an amparo appeal, and does not comply with or enforce it, provided the offense is not more severely punished.

The State is ordered to pay the costs, damages, and losses caused by the acts serving as the basis for this declaration, which will be liquidated in the execution of the judgment of the contentious-administrative proceeding. This decision shall be notified to Karla González Carvajal and Marvin Cordero Soto, in their respective order Minister and Director of Municipal Management of the Division of Public Works, both of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes), or to whoever holds those positions, personally.- Adrián Vargas B.

Acting Presiding Judge Luis Paulino Mora M. Gilbert Armijo S.

Fernando Cruz C. Federico Sosto L.

Rosa María Abdelnour G. Roxana Salazar C.

</div> </body> </html> The location of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment within the constitutional regulations of the Social State of Law (Estado Social de Derecho) is the point from which it must be analyzed. The Social State of Law produces the phenomenon of incorporating into the fundamental text a series of political objectives of great social relevance and the introduction of an important number of social rights that ensure the common good and the satisfaction of people's basic needs. In this perspective, the Political Constitution emphasizes that the protection of natural resources is an adequate means to safeguard and improve the quality of life for all, which makes necessary the intervention of public authorities on factors that can alter the balance of natural resources and, more broadly, hinder a person's development and fulfillment in a healthy environment.

Just as the principle of the Social State of Law is of immediate application, the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment is also, so that it manifests itself in the dual aspect of a subjective right of individuals and configuration as a goal or purpose of the action of public authorities in general. The impact that the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment has within the activity of the State finds its first reason for being in that, by definition, rights are not limited to the private sphere of individuals but also have transcendence in the very structure of the State in its role as guarantor of the same and, secondly, because the activity of the State is directed towards the satisfaction of the interests of the community. The Political Constitution establishes that the State must guarantee, defend, and preserve that right. Prima facie, to guarantee is to secure and protect the right against any risk or need, to defend is to forbid, prohibit, and prevent any activity that threatens the right, and to preserve is an action directed at sheltering the right in advance from possible dangers in order to make it endure for future generations.

The State must assume a dual behavior of doing and not doing; on one hand, it must refrain from itself threatening the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, and on the other hand, it must undertake the task of dictating measures that allow compliance with the constitutional requirements." (Judgment number 00644-99 of eleven hours twenty-four minutes of January twenty-ninth, nineteen ninety-nine; in the same sense, one may consult number 4947-2002 of nine hours twenty-four minutes of May twenty-fourth, two thousand two) Likewise, in a judgment of recent date, a factual situation similar to the one being heard at this time was addressed, stating what is relevant:

"Our Political Constitution, in its Article 50, expressly recognizes the right of all present and future inhabitants of this country to enjoy a healthy and perfectly balanced environment. Compliance with this requirement is a fundamental guarantee for the protection of public life and health, not only of Costa Ricans but also of all members of the world community. The violation of these fundamental precepts carries the possibility of injury or endangerment of interests in the short, medium, and long term. Pollution of the environment is one of the ways through which the integrity of the environment can be broken, with results that are most often imperishable and cumulative. The Costa Rican State is under the obligation to act preventively, avoiding—through oversight and direct intervention—the carrying out of acts that harm the environment, and under the correlative and equally inescapable prohibition of encouraging its degradation" (Judgment number 2002-04830 of sixteen hours of May twenty-first, two thousand, criterion reiterated in judgment 2002-8996 of ten hours fourteen minutes of September sixth, two thousand two)." In the sub examine, it is considered proven that on December 13, 2005, the Municipality of Desamparados and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes) formalized agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005.

The object of this legal transaction is the placement and production of asphalt with a thin layer overlay of 3 centimeters thickness over 500 linear meters of Calle Hidalgo, located in the District of Rosario de Desamparados. This road is of a cantonal nature, so its maintenance concerns the Municipality of Desamparados, in accordance with the provisions of numeral 1 of the General Law of Public Roads (Ley General de Caminos Públicos). However, by virtue of the aforementioned agreement, the responsibility is shared with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. In this regard, Article 7 subsection b) of the Regulation to Article 5 subsection b) of the Law of Tax Simplification and Efficiency on Public Investment in the Cantonal Road Network (Decreto Ejecutivo number 30263-MOPT of March 5, 2002), regulates the modality of execution of works by agreement with participation of the communities, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and other organizations; likewise, Article 16 subsection k) of that regulation establishes that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport will be responsible for “maintaining available, through the Division of Public Works (División de Obras Públicas), a basic fleet of machinery and equipment, which regionally allows the resolution of emergency situations, specialized studies, and possible projects of national interest".

Precisely, in the aforementioned agreement, that ministry undertook to make a series of contributions amounting to ₡2,646,919.80, while the value of the contributions made by the Municipality of Desamparados amounted to ₡2,844,958.80. Despite this, the Ministry failed to comply with the commitments acquired, which forced the extension of the agreement's term by six months. Subsequently, certainly, a delay occurred due to the closure of the Colima asphalt plant; however, such plant was reopened on November 27, 2006. Then, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management (Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial) of the Municipality of Desamparados, by official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 of December 13, 2006, forwarded to Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the work execution schedule for the projects under agreement with that ministry, so that the paving with asphalt mix could be scheduled, including Calle Hidalgo.

However, it was not until mid-2007 that the concrete cementing of the road was carried out, on a stretch of 500 meters, in order to stabilize the road base, so that, subsequently, the asphalting could be placed on Calle Hidalgo. To date, the asphalting has not been carried out and, worse still, the cementing is generating dust clouds with harmful effects to the neighbors, as confirmed by the Municipality of Desamparados itself, a situation that motivated those affected to file a complaint before that municipal corporation on July 24, 2007. In reaction, on August 9, 2007, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management, by official communication number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, requested Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, to modify the agreement under discussion, since the base stabilization works with cement were causing health problems to the neighbors, which would be eliminated by the road resurfacing works.

Despite this, it was not until the occasion of this constitutional process that, in a meeting on February 18, 2008, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport decided to give priority to the asphalting project of Calle Hidalgo. By virtue of the foregoing, it is clear that the inertia of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport has caused significant problems to the appellants, in open discordance with the constitutional rights to a healthy environment and to health, since it has been directly responsible for the delay in the execution of agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, signed more than two years ago but still not fully executed. Indeed, as indicated, the cementing work carried out in mid-2007—only a preliminary phase before asphalting—has caused even more problems for the neighbors, due to the dust clouds it generates, without that situation having yet been remedied, precisely because of the non-execution of the referred agreement, thanks to the inaction of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

Hence, the amparo (recurso de amparo) is entirely appropriate." Of importance to the decision in this matter, the following facts are deemed duly proven, either because they have been so accredited or because the respondent has omitted to refer to them as provided in the initial order:

• a)On December 13, 2005, the Municipality of Desamparados and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport formalized agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, the purpose of which is the placement and production of asphalt with a thin overlay of 3 centimeters in thickness on 500 linear meters of "Calle Hidalgo," located in the District of El Rosario de Desamparados (copy on pages 12 to 25).
• b)Calle Hidalgo is a cantonal road (uncontroverted fact).
• c)In the aforementioned agreement, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport undertook to make a series of contributions in the amount of ¢2,646,919.80, while the value of the contribution by the Municipality of Desamparados amounted to ¢2,844,958.80 (copy on page 24).
• d)Because the Ministry of Public Works and Transport breached the commitments assumed in the aforesaid agreement, on June 16, 2006, addendum number 1 to the same was signed, in order to extend the term to six months (sworn report on page 46).
• e)The closure of the Colima asphalt plant caused a delay until it was reopened on November 27, 2006 (copy on page 42).
• f)Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management of the Municipality of Desamparados, by official letter number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 of December 13, 2006, sent to Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the schedule for the execution of work on the projects agreed with that ministry, among which was the paving with asphalt mix including Calle Hidalgo (sworn report on page 46).
• g)In mid-2007, the concrete cementing of the road was undertaken, on a 500-meter stretch, in order to stabilize the base of the road, so that, subsequently, the asphalting could be placed on Calle Hidalgo (sworn report on page 46).
• h)In a note dated July 24, 2007, the petitioners, residents of Calle Hidalgo, complained to the Mayor of Desamparados that said road had become a cloud of cement dust, which caused allergies, rhinitis, and asthma to the adjoining residents (copy on page 8).
• i)The Municipality of Desamparados verified the problems reported by the residents of Calle Hidalgo (copies on pages 9 and 10).
• j)On August 9, 2007, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management, by official letter number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, requested Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, to modify the agreement under discussion, since the base stabilization work with cement was causing health problems for the residents, which would be eradicated by carrying out the resurfacing work on the road (sworn report on page 46).
• k)In a meeting on February 18, 2008, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport decided to give priority to the Calle Hidalgo asphalting project (copy on page 43).

II.On the merits. The Constitutional Chamber, on other occasions, has developed the scope of the rights enshrined in articles 21 and 50 of the Political Constitution. Particularly illustrative is what was decided in judgment No. 2003-01228, at 10:23 a.m. on February 14, 2003:

"IV.- On the right to a healthy environment and the right to health.- This Constitutional Court has widely recognized the attention deserved by the right to health, which although not expressly recognized in the Magna Carta, is inevitably extracted from the right to life protected by article 21, which states 'Human life is inviolable'; which is not possible without recognition of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, enshrined in article 50 of the Constitution:

'ARTICLE 50. The State shall procure the greatest well-being for all inhabitants of the country, organizing and stimulating production and the most adequate distribution of wealth.

Every person has the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. Therefore, they are entitled to report acts that infringe upon that right and to claim reparation for the damage caused.

The State shall guarantee, defend, and preserve that right. The law shall determine the corresponding responsibilities and sanctions.' In this way, it is of interest to revisit some considerations on this point, issued on previous occasions by this Constitutional Court:

'III.- On the right. Article 50 of the Political Constitution establishes that every person has the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. The right to a healthy environment has a broad content that is equivalent to the aspiration of improving the living environment of the human being, so that it overflows the criteria of natural conservation to locate itself within every sphere in which the person develops, be it family, work, or the environment in which they live. Hence, it is affirmed that it is a transversal right, that is, it moves throughout the entire legal system, shaping and reinterpreting its institutions. The environment is defined by the Royal Spanish Academy of Language as the 'set of physical circumstances that surround living beings,' which further emphasizes the general nature of the right. In contrast, the right to an ecologically balanced environment is a more restricted concept referring to an important part of that environment in which the human being develops, to the balance that must exist between the advancement of society and the conservation of natural resources.

Both rights are expressly recognized in article 50 of the Political Constitution, which outlines the Social State of Law. The location of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment within the constitutional regulations of the Social State of Law is the point from which it must be analyzed. The Social State of Law produces the phenomenon of incorporating into the fundamental text a series of political objectives of great social relevance and the introduction of a significant number of social rights that ensure the common good and the satisfaction of people's basic needs. In this perspective, the Political Constitution emphasizes that the protection of natural resources is an adequate means to protect and improve the quality of life for all, which necessitates the intervention of public authorities over factors that can alter the balance of natural resources and, more broadly, hinder the person from developing and functioning in a healthy environment.

Just as the principle of the Social State of Law is of immediate application, the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment is also, so that it manifests itself in the double aspect of a subjective right of individuals and configuration as a goal or purpose of the action of public authorities in general. The incidence that the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment has within the activity of the State finds its first reason for being in that, by definition, rights are not limited to the private sphere of individuals but also have transcendence in the very structure of the State in its role as guarantor of them and, secondly, because the activity of the State is directed towards the satisfaction of the interests of the community. The Political Constitution establishes that the State must guarantee, defend, and preserve that right. Prima facie, to guarantee is to ensure and protect the right against some risk or necessity, to defend is to veto, prohibit, and impede any activity that threatens the right, and to preserve is an action directed at safeguarding the right in advance from possible dangers in order to make it endure for future generations.

The State must assume a double behavior of doing and not doing; on the one hand, it must refrain from itself threatening the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, and on the other hand, it must assume the task of dictating the measures that allow compliance with constitutional requirements.' (Judgment number 00644-99 at eleven twenty-four on January twenty-nine, nineteen ninety-nine; in the same sense, number 4947-2002 at nine twenty-four on May twenty-four, two thousand two may be consulted) Likewise, in a recent judgment, a factual situation similar to the one being heard at this time was considered, stating as relevant:

'Our Political Constitution, in its article 50, expressly recognizes the right of all present and future inhabitants of this country to enjoy a healthy environment in perfect balance. Compliance with this requirement is a fundamental guarantee for the protection of public life and health, not only of Costa Ricans, but also of all members of the global community. The violation of these fundamental precepts entails the possibility of harm or endangerment of short, medium, and long-term interests. Contamination of the environment is one of the ways through which the integrity of the environment can be broken, with results that are most often unending and cumulative. The Costa Rican State has the obligation to act preventively, avoiding - through oversight and direct intervention - the performance of acts that harm the environment, and the correlative and equally unavoidable prohibition against fostering its degradation.' (Judgment number 2002-04830 at sixteen hours on May twenty-one, two thousand, a criterion reiterated in judgment 2002-8996 at ten fourteen on September six, two thousand two)." In the sub examine, it has been proven that on December 13, 2005, the Municipality of Desamparados and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport formalized agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005.

The purpose of that legal transaction is the placement and production of asphalt with a thin overlay of 3 centimeters in thickness on 500 linear meters of Calle Hidalgo, located in the District of El Rosario de Desamparados. This road is cantonal in nature, so its maintenance concerns the Municipality of Desamparados, in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of the General Law of Public Roads. However, by virtue of the aforementioned agreement, the responsibility is shared with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. In this regard, article 7, subsection b) of the Regulation to article 5, subsection b) of the Tax Simplification and Efficiency Law on Public Investment in the Cantonal Road Network (Decreto Ejecutivo number 30263-MOPT of March 5, 2002), regulates the modality of execution of works by agreement with participation of the communities, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and other organizations; likewise, article 16, subsection k) of such regulations establishes that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport shall be responsible for “*maintaining available, through the Division of Public Works, a basic fleet of machinery and equipment, which regionally allows for the resolution of emergency situations, specialized studies, and potential projects of national interest*”.

Precisely, in the aforementioned agreement, that ministry undertook to make a series of contributions in the amount of ¢2,646,919.80, while the value of the contribution by the Municipality of Desamparados amounted to ¢2,844,958.80. Despite this, the Ministry breached the commitments assumed, which forced the extension of the agreement period by six months. Immediately thereafter, certainly, a delay occurred due to the closure of the Colima asphalt plant; however, such plant was reopened on November 27, 2006. Then, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management of the Municipality of Desamparados, by official letter number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 of December 13, 2006, sent to Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the work execution schedule for the projects under agreement with that ministry, so that the paving with asphalt mix could be scheduled, including Calle Hidalgo.

However, it was not until mid-2007 that the concrete cementing of the road was undertaken, on a 500-meter stretch, in order to stabilize the base of the road, so that, subsequently, the asphalting could be placed on Calle Hidalgo. To date, the asphalting has not been carried out and, worse still, the cementing is generating dust clouds with harmful effects on the residents, as confirmed by the Municipality of Desamparados itself, a situation that prompted the affected persons to file a claim before that municipal corporation on July 24, 2007. In reaction, on August 9, 2007, Engineer Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for Road Management, by official letter number OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, requested Engineer Humberto León Chávez, Director of Region 1 of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, to modify the agreement under discussion, since the base stabilization work with cement was causing health problems for the residents, which would be eliminated with the resurfacing work on the road.

Despite this, it was not until the occasion of this constitutional process, in a meeting on February 18, 2008, that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport decided to give priority to the Calle Hidalgo asphalting project. By virtue of the foregoing, it is clear that the inertia of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport has caused significant problems for the petitioners, in open discordance with the constitutional rights to a healthy environment and health, since it has been directly responsible for the delay in the execution of agreement number 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, signed more than two years ago but not yet fully executed. Indeed, as indicated, the cementing work carried out in mid-2007 - only a preliminary phase to the asphalting - has caused the residents even more problems, due to the dust clouds it creates, a situation that has still not been remedied, precisely because of the non-execution of the referenced agreement, owing to the inaction of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Hence, the amparo is entirely appropriate.

Por tanto:

The appeal is declared with merit. It is ordered that Karla González Carvajal and Marvin Cordero Soto, in their respective roles as Minister and Director of Municipal Management of the Division of Public Works, both of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, or whoever holds those positions, within their spheres of competence, issue the respective orders and execute the acts required so that said ministry contributes the materials, equipment, and machinery provided for in agreement number 12- MC-01-03-076-2005, aimed at the asphalting of Calle Hidalgo located in El Rosario de Desamparados, within a period of one month counted from the notification of this ruling, under warning that, based on the provisions of article 71 of the Law of Constitutional Jurisdiction, imprisonment of three months to two years, or a fine of twenty to sixty days, shall be imposed on whoever receives an order that must be complied with or enforced, issued in an amparo proceeding, and fails to comply with or enforce it, provided the crime is not more severely punished.

The State is ordered to pay the costs, damages, and losses caused by the facts that serve as the basis for this declaration, which shall be liquidated in the execution of the judgment in the administrative contentious jurisdiction. Notify this resolution personally to Karla González Carvajal and Marvin Cordero Soto, in their respective roles as Minister and Director of Municipal Management of the Division of Public Works, both of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, or whoever holds those positions.- Adrián Vargas B. Acting President Luis Paulino Mora M. Gilbert Armijo S.

Fernando Cruz C. Federico Sosto L.

Rosa María Abdelnour G. Roxana Salazar C.

* 080029780007CO * * 080029780007CO * SALA CONSTITUCIONAL DE LA CORTE SUPREMA DE JUSTICIA. San José, a las diez horas y doce minutos del dieciséis de mayo del dos mil ocho.

Recurso de amparo interpuesto por BERNAN HIDALGO MORA, ELIETH HIDALGO FALLAS, EUYANID ABARCA HIDALGO, HANNIA ABARCA HIDALGO, JEANNETTE HIDALGO NAVARRO Y LUIS GARRO HIDALGO, por su orden portadores de las cédulas de identidades números 0102400817, 0106490318, 0109640025, 0107660419, 0105730908 y 0605330486, contra el MINISTERIO DE OBRAS PÚBLICAS Y TRANSPORTES Y LA MUNICIPALIDAD DE DESAMPARADOS.

Resultando:

1. 1Por escrito recibido en la Secretaría de la Sala a las 9:12 horas del 11 de febrero de 2008, los accionantes interponen recurso de amparo contra el MINISTERIO DE OBRAS PÚBLICAS Y TRANSPORTES y LA MUNICIPALIDAD DE DESAMPARADOS. Manifiestan que desde el año 2005, los habitantes de Calle Hidalgo en El Rosario de Desamparados se organizaron con el fin de luchar porque se asfalte medio kilómetro de dicha calle. Para empezar, buscaron la ayuda de la Municipalidad la cual se las brindó para cumplir ya por segunda vez con los requisitos que solícita el MOPT. En este momento, la calle está totalmente cementada pero, como ha pasado tanto tiempo, se ha escarbado y se han formado muchos huecos. Aseguran que bastan tres días de verano, para que se levante una gran polvareda, la cual está causando graves problemas de salud, especialmente en niños y adolescentes, que provocan faltas al kinder, escuelas y colegios por alergias, "rinitis" o asma.Se suponía que tal proyecto sería tomado en cuenta según convenio N.° 12-M-C-01-03-076-2007, pues es prioritario en la zona. En algunas ocasiones, tanto verbalmente como por escrito, han expuesto el problema descrito al Vicealcalde, quien lleva el mensaje a la municipalidad accionada, la cual a su vez envía una nota al Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes; empero, todavía no se ha dado una solución efectiva. Por ello, estiman lesionado su derecho constitucional a la salud y solicitan que se declare con lugar este amparo.
2. 2Informa bajo juramento Karla González Carvajal, en su condición de Ministra de Obras Públicas y Transportes (folio 31), que mediante memorando número DM-0548-08 del 14 de febrero de 2008, instruyó a la Dirección Jurídica de ese ministerio para que recabara la información necesaria con respecto a este asunto. En oficio número 20080767 de 14 de febrero de 2008, esa Dependencia le solicitó al Lic. Alejandro Molina Solís, Director Ejecutivo del Consejo Nacional de Vialidad, que indicara si la calle en mención correspondía a ruta nacional. Lo anterior por cuanto, la Ley de Creación del CONAVI establece que el Consejo Nacional de Vialidad es un órgano con desconcentración máxima, adscrito al Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, que goza de personalidad jurídica instrumental y presupuestaria para administrar el Fondo de la Red Vial Nacional, para cuyo efecto el artículo 4 inciso a) le asigna la siguiente: "a) Planear, programar, administrar, financiar, ejecutar y controlar la conservación y la construcción de la red vial nacional, en concordancia con los programas que elabore la Dirección de Planificación del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes." Asimismo, a través del oficio número 20080767-A del 15 de febrero de 2008, la Dirección Jurídica le solicitó al Lic. Marvin Cordero Soto, Director de la Dirección de Gestión Municipal, que informara acerca de la existencia del convenio mencionado por los amparados, así como el estado de dicho trámite en caso de existir un documento en el que se pretendiera, por esa vía, reparar la Calle Hidalgo en El Rosario de Desamparados.Aclara que a esa Dirección le corresponde la elaboración de los proyectos de convenios entre el Ministerio y las diferentes municipalidades. Mediante oficio número DGM-0097-2008 del 18 de febrero de 2008, el Lic. Guillermo Badilla Jiménez, Subdirector de la Dirección de Gestión Municipal, señaló, en los puntos 6 y 7 de tal escrito, que “en reunión sostenida esta mañana en el Despacho del Viceministro de Obras Públicas, con la presencia del referido jerarca, la Alcaldesa e Ingeniero Municipal de Desamparados así como con el Ing. Humberto León, se ha dispuesto darle prioridad urgente e inmediata a dicho proyecto, para lo cual se giraron las instrucciones al Director de la Región 1.”…. ”Lo anterior una vez que se solventen los problemas de suministros de materiales como piedra 1024 y se obtengan las autorizaciones de ingreso de nuestros camiones para retirar materiales asfálticos en Recope." En el informe citado, la Dirección de Gestión Municipal admitió que el 13 de diciembre de 2005 se había formalizado por parte de la Dirección Jurídica del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, el Convenio número 12-MC-01-03-076-2005 con la Municipalidad de Desamparados, cuyo objetivo era la producción y colocación de asfalto con un recubrimiento de una carpeta delgada de 3 centímetros de espesor en 500 metros lineales de la Calle Hidalgo, situada en El Rosario de Desamparados.De igual forma, en fecha 16 de junio de 2006, esa Dirección suscribió la adenda número 1 al convenio de cita, a fin de ampliar el plazo de ejecución por seis meses, razón por la cual concluye que el Ministerio ha brindado la atención oportuna al mantenimiento y reparación de la calle de referencia, sin que se evidencie una falta de atención o descuido en tal zona. De esta forma, la satisfacción del interés público fue atendida por parte del Ministerio, toda vez que en coordinación con la Municipalidad de Desamparados se suscribió el convenio en cuestión y se realizó la obra de referencia. Con respecto al informe que debía de rendir la Dirección Ejecutiva del Consejo Nacional de Vialidad, se tiene que mediante oficio número DE08-0464 del 15 de febrero de 2008, el Lic. Molina Solís remitió el asunto bajo análisis al Ing. Adalid Villanea Calvo, funcionario de la Unidad de Organización de Inspección del Departamento de Proyectos de Conservación Vial del CONAVI, para su debida atención y posterior informe, motivo por el cual una vez que se cuente con esa documentación, la remitirá al Tribunal Constitucional, pues caso contrario se vencería el plazo de tres días otorgado al Ministerio para rendir el informe relativo al amparo.Afirma que la Dirección de Gestión Municipal, en coordinación con las autoridades competentes de la Municipalidad de Desamparados, se encuentra ejecutando las acciones pertinentes a fin de atender de manera prioritaria el proyecto de colocación de asfalto en la Calle Hidalgo, ubicada en El Rosario en Desamparados, de acuerdo con las posibilidades presupuestarias, técnicas y humanas de que se dispone, motivo por el que considera que no se ha violentado ninguna garantía constitucional. Pide que se desestime el amparo.
3. 3Informan bajo juramento, Maureen Fallas Fallas y José Rafael Garro Fallas, por su orden Alcaldesa y segundo Alcalde Suplente de la Municipalidad de Desamparados (folio 45), que esa corporación municipal, en tanto gobierno local encargado de administrar los servicios e intereses locales a favor de los administrados, entre cuyas funciones está el mantenimiento de la red vial cantonal, ha suscrito diversos convenios con el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes para tal fin, toda vez que los recursos municipales presupuestados para cumplir a cabalidad con esa tarea resultan insuficientes. En el caso de marras, la calle en donde viven los recurrentes, conocida como "Calle Hidalgo" y localizada en el Distrito del Rosario de Desamparados, es un camino vecinal. Originalmente, solo poseía una calzada en lastre por tratarse de un camino rural. Sin embargo, los vecinos solicitaron que la vía fuese mejorada.Al respecto, la Municipalidad de Desamparados, en el año 2005, suscribió con el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes el convenio número 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, cuyo objeto era la colocación y producción de asfalto con un recubrimiento de una capa delgada de 3 centímetros de espesor sobre 500 metros lineales de esa calle. Derivado del hecho de que todavía a mediados del año 2006, el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes no había ejecutado los compromisos adquiridos en el convenio, el 16 de junio de 2006 se suscribió la adenda número 1 al mismo, a fin de ampliar el plazo a seis meses. El Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinador de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial de la Municipalidad de Desamparados, mediante oficio número OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 de 13 de diciembre de 2006, con base en el recurso municipal, le remitió al Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director de la Región 1 del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, el cronograma de ejecución de labores en los proyectos en convenio con ese ministerio, para que esa dirección programara la pavimentación con mezcla asfáltica.En dicho cronograma se incluyó el convenio para el asfaltado de la Calle Hidalgo; sin embargo, a la fecha, por razones que no constan en el expediente y se desconocen, el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes ha incumplido las obligaciones adquiridas, lo que ha provocado que aún no se hayan cumplido en forma satisfactoria las obras de mejora a la vía mencionada. Pese a que no se ha podido completar la ejecución del citado convenio y ante la insistencia de nuestra representada, aproximadamente a mediados del año 2007 se procedió a la cementación en concreto de la vía, en un tramo de 500 metros, con el fin de estabilizar la base del camino y poder, una vez cumplidos los compromisos adquiridos por el ministerio en el convenio de referencia, colocar el asfaltado gestionado por los recurrentes; no obstante, como consecuencia del incumplimiento del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, no se ha podido proceder de conformidad.El 9 de agosto de 2007, el Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinador de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial, mediante oficio número OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, le solicitó al Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director de la Región 1 del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, modificar el convenio de comentario, ya que los trabajos de estabilización con cemento de la base estaban ocasionando problemas de salud a los vecinos, lo que se erradicaría realizando los trabajos de recarpeteo de la vía. Sin embargo, a la fecha no se ha recibido respuesta alguna, ni tampoco el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes ha acatado lo establecido en el convenio. Aseguran que la Municipalidad ha efectuado ingentes esfuerzos tendientes al asfaltado de la Calle Hidalgo, situación que incluso los recurrentes reconocen en el escrito de interposición del amparo; empero, no se ha podido concretar tal meta, debido a que el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes no ha cumplido a cabalidad lo acordado en el convenio número 12-MC-01-03-076- 2005. Solicitan que se declare sin lugar el amparo en lo atinente a la Municipalidad, y se ordene al Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes respetar el referido convenio.
4. 4En adición al informe visible a folio 31, informa bajo juramento Susana López Rivera, en su condición de Directora Jurídica del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (folio 50), que mediante oficio número 20080767 de 14 de febrero de 2008, se le solicitó al Ing. Alejandro Molina Solís, Director Ejecutivo del Consejo Nacional de Vialidad, que indicara si la calle Hidalgo, ubicada en el Rosario de Desamparados, correspondía a una ruta nacional. En oficio número DE08-0545 del 20 de febrero de 2008, Molina Solís señaló que tal calle correspondía a una ruta cantonal. Agrega que en el caso de rutas cantonales, el Ministerio ayuda a las diferentes municipalidades en la reparación y mantenimiento de esas carreteras, de acuerdo con los respectivos convenios que se suscriban.
5. 5En los procedimientos seguidos se han observado las prescripciones legales.

Redacta el Magistrado Armijo Sancho; y,

Considerando:

I.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:

• a)El 13 de diciembre de 2005, la Municipalidad de Desamparados y el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes formalizaron el convenio número 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, cuyo objeto es la colocación y producción de asfalto con un recubrimiento de una capa delgada de 3 centímetros de espesor sobre 500 metros lineales de la "Calle Hidalgo", localizada en el Distrito del Rosario de Desamparados (copia a folios 12 a 25).
• b)La Calle Hidalgo es una vía cantonal (hecho incontrovertido).
• c)En el convenio supracitado, el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes se comprometió a realizar una serie de aportes por un monto de ¢2,646,919.80, mientras que el valor de lo aportado por la Municipalidad de Desamparados ascendió a ¢2,844,958.80 (copia a folio 24).
• d)Como el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes incumplió los compromisos adquiridos en el convenio antedicho, el 16 de junio de 2006 se suscribió la adenda número 1 al mismo, a fin de ampliar el plazo a seis meses (informe bajo juramento a folio 46).
• e)La clausura de la planta de asfalto de Colima provocó un atraso hasta que fue reabierta el 27 de noviembre de 2006 (copia a folio 42).
• f)El Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinador de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial de la Municipalidad de Desamparados, mediante oficio número OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 de 13 de diciembre de 2006, le remitió al Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director de la Región 1 del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, el cronograma de ejecución de labores en los proyectos convenidos con ese ministerio, entre los que estaba la pavimentación con mezcla asfáltica incluyendo la Calle Hidalgo (informe bajo juramento a folio 46).
• g)A mediados del año 2007, se procedió a la cementación en concreto de la vía, en un tramo de 500 metros, con el fin de estabilizar la base del camino, para que así, posteriormente, se pudiera colocar el asfaltado sobre la Calle Hidalgo (informe bajo juramento a folio 46).
• h)En nota de 24 de julio de 2007, los recurrentes, vecinos de la Calle Hidalgo, reclamaron ante la Alcaldesa de Desamparados que tal vía se había convertido en una polvareda de cemento, lo que provocaba a los colindantes alergias, rinitis y asma (copia a folio 8).
• i)La Municipalidad de Desamparados constató los problemas referidos por los vecinos de Calle Hidalgo (copias a folios 9 y 10).
• j)El 9 de agosto de 2007, el Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinador de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial, mediante oficio número OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, le solicitó al Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director de la Región 1 del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, modificar el convenio de comentario, ya que los trabajos de estabilización con cemento de la base estaban ocasionando problemas de salud a los vecinos, lo que se erradicaría realizando los trabajos de recarpeteo de la vía (informe bajo juramento a folio 46).
• k)En reunión de 18 de febrero de 2008, el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes dispuso darle prioridad al proyecto de asfaltado de la Calle Hidalgo (copia a folio 43).

II.Sobre el fondo. La Sala Constitucional, en otras ocasiones, ha desarrollado los alcances de los derechos consagrados en los artículos 21 y 50 de la Constitución Política. Particularmente ilustrativo es lo resuelto en la sentencia Nº 2003-01228, de las 10:23 hrs. de 14 de febrero de 2003:

"IV.- Sobre el derecho a un ambiente sano y el derecho a la salud.- Ha sido ampliamente reconocido por este Tribunal Constitucional la atención que merece el derecho a la salud que si bien no está expresamente reconocido en la Carta Magna, se extrae inevitablemente del derecho a la vida protegido por el artículo 21, que señala "La vida humana es inviolable"; el cual no es posible sin un reconocimiento al derecho a un ambiente sano y equilibrado, consagrado en el artículo 50 constitucional:

"ARTICULO 50. El Estado procurará el mayor bienestar a todos los habitantes del país, organizando y estimulando la producción y el más adecuado reparto de la riqueza.

Toda persona tiene derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado. Por ello, está legitimada para denunciar los actos que infrinjan ese derecho y para reclamar la reparación del daño causado.

El Estado garantizará, defenderá y preservará ese derecho. La ley determinará las responsabilidades y las sanciones correspondientes." De esta manera, resulta de interés retomar algunas consideraciones respecto a este punto, emitidas en anteriores ocasiones por este Tribunal Constitucional:

"III.- Sobre el derecho. El artículo 50 de la Constitución Política establece que toda persona tiene derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado. El derecho a un ambiente sano tiene un contenido amplio que equivale a la aspiración de mejorar el entorno de vida del ser humano, de manera que desborda los criterios de conservación natural para ubicarse dentro de toda esfera en la que se desarrolle la persona, sea la familiar, la laboral o la del medio en el cual habita. De ahí que se afirme que se trata de un derecho transversal, es decir, que se desplaza a todo lo largo del ordenamiento jurídico, modelando y reinterpretando sus institutos. El ambiente es definido por la Real Academia Española de la Lengua como el 'conjunto de circunstancias físicas que rodean a los seres vivos', lo que recalca aún más el carácter general del derecho. En cambio el derecho a un ambiente ecológicamente equilibrado es un concepto más restringido referido a una parte importante de ese entorno en el que se desarrolla el ser humano, al equilibrio que debe existir entre el avance de la sociedad y la conservación de los recursos naturales.

Ambos derechos se encuentran reconocidos expresamente en el artículo 50 de la Constitución Política, que perfila el Estado Social de Derecho. La ubicación del derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado dentro de las regulaciones constitucionales del Estado Social de Derecho es el punto a partir del cual debe éste ser analizado. El Estado Social de Derecho produce el fenómeno de incorporación al texto fundamental de una serie de objetivos políticos de gran relevancia social y de la introducción de un importante número de derechos sociales que aseguran el bien común y la satisfacción de las necesidades elementales de las personas. En esta perspectiva, la Constitución Política enfatiza que la protección de los recursos naturales es un medio adecuado para tutelar y mejorar la calidad de vida de todos, lo que hace necesaria la intervención de los poderes públicos sobre los factores que pueden alterar el equilibrio de los recursos naturales y, más ampliamente, obstaculizar que la persona se desarrolle y desenvuelva en un ambiente sano.

De igual forma que el principio del Estado Social de Derecho es de aplicación inmediata, el derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado también lo es, de manera que se manifiesta en la doble vertiente de derecho subjetivo de las personas y configuración como meta o fin de la acción de los poderes públicos en general. La incidencia que tiene el derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado dentro de la actividad del Estado, encuentra su primera razón de ser en que por definición los derechos no se limitan a la esfera privada de los individuos sino que tienen asimismo trascendencia en la propia estructura del Estado en su papel de garante de los mismos y, en segundo término, porque la actividad del Estado se dirige hacia la satisfacción de los intereses de la colectividad. La Constitución Política establece que el Estado debe garantizar, defender y preservar ese derecho.

Prima facie garantizar es asegurar y proteger el derecho contra algún riesgo o necesidad, defender es vedar, prohibir e impedir toda actividad que atente contra el derecho, y preservar es una acción dirigida a poner a cubierto anticipadamente el derecho de posibles peligros a efectos de hacerlo perdurar para futuras generaciones. El Estado debe asumir un doble comportamiento de hacer y de no hacer; por un lado debe abstenerse de atentar él mismo contra el derecho a contar con un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado, y por otro lado, debe asumir la tarea de dictar las medidas que permitan cumplir con los requerimientos constitucionales." (Sentencia número 00644-99 de las once horas veinticuatro minutos del veintinueve de enero de mil novecientos noventa y nueve; en el mismo sentido se puede consultar la número 4947-2002 de las nueve horas con veinticuatro minutos del veinticuatro de mayo de dos mil dos) Asimismo, en una sentencia de fecha reciente se conoció de una situación fáctica similar a la que se conoce en este momento, señalándose en lo que interesa:

"Nuestra Constitución Política, en su artículo 50, reconoce expresamente el derecho de todos los habitantes presentes y futuros de este país, de disfrutar de un medio ambiente saludable y en perfecto equilibrio. El cumplimiento de este requisito es fundamental garantía para la protección de la vida y la salud públicas, no sólo de los costarricenses, sino además de todos los miembros de la comunidad mundial. La violación a estos fundamentales preceptos conlleva la posibilidad de lesión o puesta en peligro de intereses a corto, mediano y largo plazo. La contaminación del medio es una de las formas a través de las cuales puede ser rota la integridad del ambiente, con resultados la mayoría de las veces imperecederos y acumulativos. El Estado costarricense se encuentra en la obligación de actuar preventivamente evitando -a través de la fiscalización y la intervención directa- la realización de actos que lesionen el medio ambiente, y en la correlativa e igualmente ineludible prohibición de fomentar su degradación" (Sentencia número sentencia número 2002-04830 de las dieciséis horas del veintiuno de mayo del dos mil, criterio reiterado en la sentencia 2002-8996 de las diez horas con catorce minutos del seis de setiembre de dos mil dos)." En el sub exámine se tiene por probado que el 13 de diciembre de 2005, la Municipalidad de Desamparados y el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes formalizaron el convenio número 12-MC-01-03-076-2005.

Objeto de ese negocio jurídico es la colocación y producción de asfalto con un recubrimiento de una capa delgada de 3 centímetros de espesor sobre 500 metros lineales de la Calle Hidalgo, localizada en el Distrito del Rosario de Desamparados. Esta vía es de naturaleza cantonal, por lo que su mantenimiento atañe a la Municipalidad de Desamparados, conforme a lo dispuesto en el numeral 1 de la Ley General de Caminos Públicos. Sin embargo, en virtud del convenio antedicho, la responsabilidad resulta compartida con el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes. Al respecto, el artículo 7 inciso b) del Reglamento al artículo 5 inciso b) de la Ley de Simplificación y Eficiencia Tributarias sobre la Inversión Pública en la Red Vial Cantonal (Decreto Ejecutivo número 30263-MOPT de 5 de marzo de 2002), regula la modalidad de ejecución de obras por convenio con participación de las comunidades, el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes y otras organizaciones; asimismo, el artículo 16 inciso k) de tal normativa establece que el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes se encargará de “mantener disponible, mediante la División de Obras Públicas, una flotilla básica de maquinaria y equipo, que permita regionalmente solventar situaciones de emergencias, estudios especializados y posibles proyectos de interés nacional”.

Precisamente, en el convenio supracitado, ese ministerio se comprometió a realizar una serie de aportes por un monto de ¢2,646,919.80, mientras que el valor de lo aportado por la Municipalidad de Desamparados ascendió a ¢2,844,958.80. Pese a ello, el Ministerio incumplió los compromisos adquiridos, lo que obligó a ampliar el plazo del convenio por seis meses. Acto seguido, ciertamente, se produjo un atraso por la clausura de la planta de asfalto de Colima; empero, tal planta fue reabierta el 27 de noviembre de 2006. Luego, el Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinador de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial de la Municipalidad de Desamparados, mediante oficio número OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V 001-278-06 de 13 de diciembre de 2006, le remitió al Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director de la Región 1 del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, el cronograma de ejecución de labores en los proyectos en convenio con ese ministerio, para que se programara la pavimentación con mezcla asfáltica, con inclusión de la Calle Hidalgo.

Sin embargo, no fue sino hasta mediados del año 2007 que se procedió a la cementación en concreto de la vía, en un tramo de 500 metros, con el fin de estabilizar la base del camino, para que, posteriormente, se pudiera colocar el asfaltado en la Calle Hidalgo. A la fecha, el asfaltado no se ha efectuado y, peor aún, la cementación está generando polvaredas con efectos perjudiciales a los vecinos, según lo confirma la propia Municipalidad de Desamparados, situación que motivó a los afectados a formular un reclamo ante esa corporación municipal el 24 de julio de 2007. En reacción, el 9 de agosto de 2007, el Ing. Asdrúbal Fonseca Pineda, Coordinador de la Unidad Técnica de Gestión Vial, mediante oficio número OF.D.O.P.U.T.G.V No. 001-252-07, le solicitó al Ing. Humberto León Chávez, Director de la Región 1 del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, modificar el convenio de comentario, ya que los trabajos de estabilización con cemento de la base estaban ocasionando problemas de salud a los vecinos, los que serían eliminados con los trabajos de recarpeteo de la vía.

Pese a ello, no fue sino con motivo de este proceso de constitucionalidad, que en reunión de 18 de febrero de 2008, el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes dispuso darle prioridad al proyecto de asfaltado de la Calle Hidalgo. En virtud de lo expuesto, está claro que la inercia del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes ha causado problemas importantes a los recurrentes, en abierta discordancia con los derechos constitucionales a un ambiente sano y a la salud, puesto que ha sido responsable directo del atraso en la ejecución del convenio número 12-MC-01-03-076-2005, suscrito desde hace más de dos años pero todavía no ejecutado plenamente. En efecto, tal como se indicó, la labor de cementado realizada a mediados del año 2007 -tan solo una fase previa al asfaltado- ha originado a los vecinos aún más problemas, debido a las polvaredas que ocasiona, sin que todavía se haya remediado tal situación, precisamente, por la inejecución del referido convenio merced a la inacción de Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes. De ahí que el amparo sea del todo procedente.

Por tanto:

Se declara con lugar el recurso. Se ordena a Karla González Carvajal y Marvin Cordero Soto, por su orden Ministra y Director de Gestión Municipal de la División de Obras Públicas, ambos del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, o a quienes ejerzan esos cargos, que, dentro de sus ámbitos de competencia, giren las órdenes respectivas y emitan los actos requeridos para que ese ministerio aporte los materiales, el equipo y la maquinaria dispuestos en el convenio número 12- MC-01-03-076-2005, tendiente al asfaltado de la Calle Hidalgo ubicada en El Rosario de Desamparados, dentro del plazo de un mes contado a partir de la notificación de este pronunciamiento, bajo apercibimiento de que con base en lo establecido en el artículo 71 de la Ley de la Jurisdicción Constitucional, se impondrá prisión de tres meses a dos años, o de veinte a sesenta días multa, a quien recibiere una orden que deba cumplir o hacer cumplir, dictada en un recurso de amparo, y no la cumpliere o hiciere cumplir, siempre que el delito no esté más gravemente penado.

Se condena al Estado al pago de las costas, daños y perjuicios causados con los hechos que sirven de base a esta declaratoria, los que se liquidarán en ejecución de sentencia de lo contencioso administrativo. Notifíquese esta resolución a Karla González Carvajal y Marvin Cordero Soto, por su orden Ministra y Director de Gestión Municipal de la División de Obras Públicas, ambos del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, o a quienes ejerzan esos cargos, en forma personal.- Adrián Vargas B.

Presidente a.i.

Luis Paulino Mora M. Gilbert Armijo S.

Fernando Cruz C. Federico Sosto L.

Rosa María Abdelnour G. Roxana Salazar C.