The cooperative Alfonso Náez is formed by
22 associates (men and women), and has a population
of over 85 people. It is located in the area of Sonzapote,
northeast of the island of Zapatera (National Park
Archipelago Zapatera), 35 kilometers from the city
of Granada.
A part of the families of this cooperative has their
origins on the island of Zapatera; another part comes
from the north of the country, from the region of
Waslala. These families joined the cooperative in
the year 1995, after abandoning their native land,
fleeing for the violence.
This cooperative combines individual traditional
activities, such as fishing, agriculture (“chagüite” =
plantain, basic grains, pepper, and other vegetables),
and raising small livestock (chickens, pigs...) with
new economic activities of a collective nature, such
as the production of honey, communal
rural tourism,
the breeding and fattening of chickens, and the breeding
of pelibuey sheep.
Over the past years, the cooperative has started
reforestation activities. Currently, it is busy negotiating
an outline that deals with the management of the
area with MARENA (Ministry of Environment and Natural
Resources)
