Last weekend Senator José Ignacio Paliza accompanied by politicians from Puerto Plata visited historical park Isabela near the town of Luperon.
To his dismay, he had to ascertain that the park has been totally neglected.
This is surprising because in August 2013 the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) visited the park.
They then also saw the park in a deplorable state.
But the Spanish Agency granted a subsidy to preserve this important historic park for future generations.
The park is in the same deplorable state, but what has happened with that money?
Park Isabela
Why is this park so important?
At this location Columbus founded the first European settlement in the newly discovered continent.
Columbus decided on his second trip to the New World to set up a shelter for the sick in a bay with a river with fresh water.
Because he foresaw a fairly long stay on the island, some large houses for the nobility were build and a large number of barracks for the lesser people.
They also build a church and a furnished luxury accommodation for Columbus.
The first mass was read in the church on January 6 1494.
The settlement can be seen as the first European 'city' in the new world.
Columbus named the new city to the Spanish Queen Isabela: La Isabela.
During the tour of the park Senator José Ignacio Paliza did an urgent appeal on the government to save this historically important place from destruction.
If the rescue plan is implemented then the historical park will be a great impulse for tourism.
Especially, now there are more tourists for the construction of the cruise ship port in Maimon.
