Committed to the decontamination of our environments, Veolia and the District Mayor’s Office of Barrancabermeja are working together to restore areas that have suffered from waste accumulation. In their most recent effort, more than 52 tons of waste were collected in the area of the old commissary, adding to the 28 critical points that have already been addressed so far in 2025.
The community has expressed its support and gratitude for these actions: “This cleanup is very important for our community, because we are greatly affected here; all that trash brings a lot of mosquitoes, pests, and also bad odors. But now, seeing this intervention, we are going to have a better quality of life, both for people and for businesses,” said Teresa Cortés Páez, a vendor at the La Playita Shopping Center, located near the area.
José Guevara, a local resident, appreciated Veolia’s efforts to beautify the city, especially in an area near the Casa de la Cultura. For this reason, he called on the community: “Let’s be more aware of these garbage dumps. If you and we all do our part, we can make Barrancabermeja a more beautiful, nicer municipality.”
According to Andrés Sarmiento, Acting Operations Manager at Veolia Aseo Santander and Cesar S.A. E.S.P., these activities are being carried out under the Clean Area strategy, through which they hope to continue having a positive impact on the ‘face’ of the city. “This campaign is very important because we managed to remove that amount of tons, including pruning waste, debris, and regular trash; with this strategy, we hope to recover 50 critical points this year,” he explained.
These activities have also been made possible thanks to the collaboration of other entities with which we hope to continue working, such as: the National Police, the Fire Department, the District Secretariats of Public Space and Environment, and Energy Transition.
As Sarmiento emphasized, this initiative seeks to "recover these spaces and make them enjoyable for children, our adolescents, our adults, and to make Barrancabermeja beautiful and sustainable," demonstrating Veolia's commitment to the well-being of the community and the preservation of the environment.
"We are very grateful to Veolia, because this company has provided us with this service for years. They are admirable people. Truly, thank you, Veolia," emphasized Cortés Páez.