Benjamín Martínez Núñez, president of the Neighborhood Council of the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood, indicated that the problem of homeless people in the romantic area and center of the city is worrisome, where there are around 50 people living on the streets, of all ages, even women.
“I have counted more than fifty homeless people. The problem here is that they are coming to live in the river, they are taking it as a home and if the authorities do not do something the situation will worsen, these people here eat, sleep and use the bathroom ”, he pondered.
The neighborhood leader indicated that he has talked with the needy, who confessed that life here is easy, because there are many restaurants where they go to order a taco and they always provide food, others are given work washing cars and others open doors in convenience stores to get a few coins:
“That causes … why are they leaving? The problem is that more are coming,” he warned.
Inhabitants of this central area are already extremely concerned since it has become common to see the homeless people lying on the sidewalks, drinking alcohol or taking drugs, even in streets near the boardwalk, outside businesses and restaurants have reported that they make their physiological needs, causing bad odors and pollution.
Dozens of them have already settled on the Island of the Cuale river and its banks, some have appropriated an empty space and others have erected tents with plastics, cardboard, and fabrics, there are those who adapted caves under the hanging bridges:
“At night you will see full here, it is as if it were a hotel,” denounced Mr. Benjamin.
Neighbors and businessmen on the road are already desperate, as they have to clean the dirt they leave on their sidewalks and be on the lookout for vandalism.
It’s a never-ending story, they keep reporting them to Public Safety, but they only get their attention, they take them away, but after a few minutes they come back:
“The police cannot take them away, so they run away, but after half an hour they return,” he lamented.
This phenomenon has become a social and health problem, which grows more and more every day because there are often fights, some are aggressive with people who do not give them money or what they ask for, in addition to the bad image that is given to the tourists, so they ask the authorities to fully address the situation.
Source: tribunadelabahia.com.mx
