Jarabacoa: the wounded mountain crying out for responsible tourism

I just came back from Jarabacoa with the same nagging feeling: this land promises an eternal spring, but its mountains are being savagely attacked. I saw it with my own eyes and it's confirmed by the report on AlMomento.net.

The view is heartbreaking: scarred hillsides, ripped-out vegetation, uncontrolled construction spreading everywhere. We talk big about ecotourism, yet we allow runaway development to eat up the very landscape that draws visitors. What are we selling, then? A fake postcard.

Here's my blunt take: it's not just the builders' fault. It's the regulatory vacuum, the municipal free-for-all, and a tourism industry that looks the other way. If we don't demand land-use planning, Jarabacoa will become a case study in how to destroy our own product.

• Urgent: a moratorium on unplanned construction.
• Urgent: MITUR must enforce real environmental impact assessments.
• Urgent: tour operators must embed sustainability clauses.

The opportunity is to hit the brakes and bet on high-quality mountain tourism, not on concrete lots. We can still save the eternal spring, but the clock is ticking.