This Friday, the Government of Entre Ríos took possession of the historic Ayuí hotel. The action, promoted by the General Secretariat of the Government, led by Mauricio Colello, put an end to several years of usurpation and illegal exploitation.
The action aimed to ensure legality and institutional control of the spaces belonging to the Salto Grande perilake area. The recovery of the hotel was possible after a lawsuit carried out by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Government of Entre Ríos at the request of the Development Corporation (Codesal), under the orbit of the General Secretariat of the Government.
In this way, the accommodation of great significance for the entire region is once again in the possession of the Province, which will allow it to be valued and to carry out a public-private project for its exploitation.
"Today is a historic day for Concordia: we have recovered the Ayuí hotel, a place that was once a symbol of pride for all the people of Entre Ríos," expressed Colello after finalizing the administrative and legal procedure corresponding to these cases.
The official added, furthermore, that "the most important thing is not only the end of a usurpation that lasted 13 years, but the beginning of a new stage." "A stage in which this emblematic space will once again have the value it deserves for the residents of Concordia and for the entire province," he said.
For his part, the Minister of Government and Labor of Entre Ríos, Manuel Troncoso, stressed that the hotel workers "were victims of this situation of abandonment, of neglect, and when a worker is a victim, we are talking about the violation of rights." He also commented: "Today we listened to them firsthand, the testimony was strong, moving, but it also gives us strength. The workers are part of this project."
Meanwhile, the president of Codesal, Eduardo Cristina, expressed: "We are extremely happy because we have recovered something that leaves us all with a little nostalgia for what we lived in our childhood moments inside here and what it represents economically, socially, and touristically for the people."
At the same time, the mayor of Concordia, Francisco Azcué, also accompanied the taking of possession and in this regard stated: "We are proud to be part of this team and this administration. Our governor has made the decision from the first day to move forward in this direction, to end these privileges that have been granted for many years to the friends of politicians, and to recover what belongs to the people of Entre Ríos and the residents of Concordia."
Finally, the president of the Mixed Technical Commission (CTM), Alejandro Daneri, explained that the participation of Salto Grande will be defined by the governor: "We are absolutely convinced of this, so we are moving forward, as we did before and as we will continue to do," he expressed.
The taking of possession of the hotel was also accompanied by national deputy Nancy Ballejos and by the Concordia senator Gloria Cozzi.
About the Ayuí hotel
In 2004, the Mixed Technical Commission of Salto Grande (CTM) ceded several spaces to the Superior Government of the Province of Entre Ríos under a loan for use agreement, including the Ayuí hotel area. At the time of signing the loan for use contract, a concession contract was in force between the CTM and the firm Balace SRL, signed on January 9, 2002, for a term of seven years, with the possibility of extension for three additional years, under conditions to be agreed upon between the parties. Said contract granted the company the use and exploitation of the Ayuí hotel.
The contract with Balace SRL expired on January 9, 2012. On that occasion, through Opinion No. 74,914, dated December 23, 2014, the State Prosecutor Julio Rodríguez Signes recommended that the governor carry out a survey of the state of the establishment, in order to finalize its formal transfer to the Province.
Despite the recommendations expressed, and for strictly political reasons that are unknown, the situation of irregular occupation of the Ayuí hotel continued over time, without concrete actions by the competent authorities.
After several years, the reality is different. The provincial government assumed the responsibility of recovering the Ayuí hotel in coordination with Codesal, under the presidency of Eduardo Cristina; the State Prosecutor's Office, led by Julio Rodríguez Signes; the General Secretary of the Government, Mauricio Colello, and the governor, Rogelio Frigerio. In this way, it will be possible to restore legality, recover public assets, and ensure adequate, transparent management in accordance with the current legal framework.