Callao reclaims avenue section after 40 years, sparking dispute with transport company

The Provincial Municipality of Callao has intervened on a stretch of Avenida República de Venezuela, reclaiming public space that had allegedly been occupied by private structures for more than four decades. The operation, which utilized heavy machinery and police support, covered approximately 650 meters between the La Perla roundabout and Carlos A. Saco street.

During the intervention, walls, columns, and other structures that had reduced the available space for vehicles and pedestrians were removed. The municipality asserts that this action restored a public thoroughfare that had been encroached upon for decades, reducing the avenue from three lanes to one in the direction of Lima. Callao's provincial mayor, César Pérez, stated that the recovery followed an administrative and oversight process, emphasizing that the goal was to return the three-lane public road to the community.

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It is not land. What we have done is recover the three-lane public road of Avenida Venezuela taken by this company to put it back at the disposal of the neighbors.

However, the measure has generated controversy with the Association of Concessionaires and United Transporters (ACTU). ACTU rents a portion of the intervened area to store buses for the Corredor Rojo and regular transport services. The association claims it did not receive prior notification of the operation. Ángel Mendoza Aguirre, ACTU's general manager, expressed regret over the intervention, noting that while they understand the need to reclaim public space, they were unaware of the property dispute. ACTU requested 24 hours to remove their vehicles before demolition, but this was denied.

The municipality, in contrast, maintains that coordination regarding the property was the responsibility of the owner, not the transporters. Mayor Pérez affirmed that the municipality had previously informed the property owners of the intervention and had reinforced security in the area with local watchmen and police coordination. The intervention also affected ACTU's maneuvering yard for bus storage, with the removal of a wall exposing the area.

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We regret that yesterday (Wednesday, August 19) there was an act that may be justified because public space is being affected; however, we are tenants of this land from the Cogorno family and, as such, we have not been notified at any time of said controversy.