Jesús Armas Denounces Worsening Water Crisis and Centralization in Caracas

The water crisis in Caracas has reached a critical point, with social leader Jesús Armas of the NGO Monitor Ciudad leading the charge against what he describes as the government's mismanagement and harmful centralization of the water system. Speaking from outside Hidrocapital's headquarters, Armas, alongside concerned residents and community leaders, highlighted the deteriorating service and the alarming lack of structural solutions.

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Today we are (...) accompanied by social leaders, by residents of the Libertador municipality to send a very clear message: that in the face of the water crisis, instead of moving towards best practices and learning from past mistakes, the regime of Delcy Rodríguez is doing the exact opposite.

Armas directly challenged the administration of Delcy Rodríguez, asserting that recent decisions have exacerbated the crisis, running counter to established norms and Venezuelan law. He pointed to the recent centralization of state water management under Hidroven, which effectively dissolved entities like Hidrocapital, Hidrolagos, and Hidrocentro. This move, he argued, is a step backward, ignoring regional best practices and the spirit of Venezuela's own organic law on water services.

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A few weeks ago, behind the backs of Venezuelans, they once again centralized the control of the state water companies. They abolished Hidrocapital, they abolished Hidrolagos, they abolished Hidrocentro and took control of the country's water companies.

Contrasting the government's actions with legal mandates, Armas emphasized that Venezuelan legislation promotes decentralization and even grants municipalities authority over water distribution. He called for a paradigm shift, advocating for the integration of private sector participation and capital through privatization to revitalize the ailing system. This, he believes, is essential for overcoming the chronic issues of underinvestment and poor maintenance that have plagued the capital's water supply for years, a situation mirrored in other regions like Nueva Esparta and Sucre, where citizens face severe scarcity.

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They recentralized all the water companies in Hidroven, doing something totally contrary to what are usually best practices in the region and to what the organic law on the provision of drinking water and sanitation services says.

This situation is not merely an inconvenience; it represents a clear violation of the human right to water. Armas's critique underscores a deep-seated problem within Venezuela's infrastructure management, where political decisions appear to override practical needs and legal frameworks. The stark contrast between the government's approach and the urgent demands for decentralization and private investment highlights the challenges faced by citizens in accessing basic services.

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Our law is very clear, it must be decentralized, and furthermore, our organic law of the Public Power at two levels is also very clear, where the mayors also have, in theory, authority over water distribution.