President of Peru, Ollanta Humala, promulgated the regulation of law 27280: The law for the preservation of the Waves

Translation: Heido Sundstrom

After a long, 13-year struggle of tireless claims and protests, the month of December will be remembered as a historic date, not just for Peruvian surfing, but for global surfing as a whole. The President of Peru, Ollanta Humala, passed the regulation of Law 27280, the Law that enforces the preservation of wave spots appropriated for sporting activities in the coastal zones. This new Law will certainly benefit all those that practice surfing in the great country of Peru.

President Humala, accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Pedro Cateriano, and the head of the Peruvian Sporting Institute, Francisco Boza, thanked the athletes for having brought these serious problems to their attention, like the construction of docks and piers that affect the natural breaks of the waves, sometimes causing them to disappear altogether. They assured the permanent presence of the Navy through the General Direction of Captains and Coastguards (DICAPI, for its initials in Spanish) and will also work to resolve the problem of waste that is dumped on the beaches, asking surfers to have confidence in their government.

World Champions, Sofia Mulanovich and Benoit “Piccolo” Clemente, among other athletes were present to witness this historic event in the Peruvian government palace.

“If we lead on the regional and global level of surfing, like the championship achieved in the recent Bolivian Games, why not continue to support a sport that adds value to this country. It’s worth being concerned about this sport,” declared the Head of State.

Our recognition and congratulations to all the surfing pioneers, past and present, and to the National Board Sport Federation that has fought to preserve the marine environment so that the waves are never lost, in order to leave a legacy for future generations. Hopefully this will create a domino effect that would extend throughout the whole world—in Latin America and here in Mexico, where the total opposite occurs, thanks to corruption, greed, passivity, conformity and the lack of organization, as well as the legislators that pass laws to sell the coastline to private investors. Today, one of the most notorious fights is SAVE COLORADA, to halt the construction of a dock in Punta Colorada beach in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca.

Photo: Job Francisco Rosales Pacheco