Summary of the Request

The Requesters allege harm to their property and economic loss, connected with the Reventazon Hydroelectric Power Project. Specifically, the Requesters claim that by expropriating part of the farm, the project cut-off the access to the aquifers that previously supplied water to the entire property and were used for different productive activities such as agriculture irrigation and water for their livestock. The above, per the Request, has caused significant economic losses and harm to the Requesters’ health.

This Request is linked to request MICI-IDB-CR-2016-0112, which was declared ineligible because the Requestors had not had prior contact with Management.

Recent actions

MICI conducted a monitoring mission to Costa Rica between July 29th and 31st, 2019, in which it was verified that all the agreements reached by the Parties were fulfilled. The Mechanism produced a Case Closure Report that was distributed for information to the Board of Executive Directors on September 9th, 2019, concluding MICI’s activities related to the case management.

Past actions

On August 10 2017, MICI notified the Requesters and Bank Management that the Request was registered.

On February 1, 2018, MICI determined that the Request was eligible because it met all the eligibility criteria established in the MICI Policy.

Regarding those operations that are relevant to the MICI process, this determination excludes transaction (CR-T1074) where exclusion 19 paragraph (f) applies because the Request was submitted 24 months after the last disbursement. Also, regarding the topics addressed in the Request, the access to drinking water was solved by Management, therefore it is excluded from the MICI process.

This determination of eligibility is not an assessment of the merits of the Request or of the issues contained therein. It also does not represent an approval to investigate the compliance or non-compliance of the Bank with its Relevant Operational Policies.

The Request was transferred to the Consultation Phase following the request of the Requesters to manage the case by both Phases of the MICI process.

As a result of a series of dialogues and analysis facilitated by MICI, on April 12, 2018, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), the Requesters and IDB Group Management reached an agreement to provide a comprehensive solution that allows the restoration of access to water for animal troughs and irrigation of the Requester’s property. The Parties requested the confidentiality of the agreement.

On June 5, 2018, with the Board of Executive Directors's approval of the monitoring plan proposed by MICI, the monitoring stage of the agreements began.