On Thursday the Parliament of Navarre authorised Sodena to borrow an additional EUR 1.5 million into the leisure park for the fire that occurred last June. It also dedicated EUR 1.7 million to it. The proposal was approved by the plenary, with the vote in favour of PSN, Geroa Bai and Navarra Suma, arguing that it is “fundamental” for the Ribera de Navarra. EH Bildu and Ahal Dugu have opposed it.

Senda Viva was born in 2004 under the government of Miguel Sanz of UPN, and since then has always been deficient. After eighteen years, the 257,000 visitors that were initially calculated to have a balanced balance never exceeded them. The public aid of EUR 86 million it has already received has prevented the closure of the park and, on this occasion, the fire of June is the excuse for adding another EUR 1.5 million.

It should be remembered that in its creation this macro-project was public-private and that the management team was called Parquenasa. That is, only the public company Sodena contributed 45% of the capital of Parquenasa, the remaining 55% was in the hands of the constructor Sanzol, Caixabank and the editorial group La Información de Diario de Navarra. Sodena is currently the only manager. However, in 2023 the management of the park will move from Sodena to NICDO, a Navarra public company dedicated to leisure and sports activities. Development and Industry Advisor Mikel Irujo has reported that the future of Senda Viva will be studied in 2023.

Therefore, Podemos spokesman Mikel Buil believes that the new loan granted is a “new rescue”. In this regard, Adolfo Araiz of EH Bildu pointed out that the Senda Viva project is “exhausted”.

However, this subsidy will not be the last, according to PSN spokesman Ainhoa Unzu: “More than EUR 5 million would be needed between 2022 and 2024.” For Juan Luis Sánchez de Munian, from Navarra Suma, the reconstruction “would be good for Navarra” and Mikel Asiain, by Geroa Bai, added that “to maintain the economic flow of the Ribera it is essential to rebuild Senda Viva”, referring to the fire of June 18 of this year.

That day they had to evict 2,500 people and about 800 animals. 2% of the latter died on fire, according to park data, at the expense of the controversy that has always existed about the doubtful living conditions, especially as regards the climate too dry and hot for some species.