Campeche: Supreme Court orders water protection for Maya communities

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has issued a landmark ruling ordering federal, state, and municipal authorities to protect the water supply of 17 Maya communities in Hopelchén, Campeche. The decision follows a six-year legal battle regarding the presence of glyphosate and other dangerous pesticides in local aquifers, which pose risks to environmental health and are linked to cancer.

Applying the principles of precaution and ‘in dubio pro natura’, the Court ruled that a lack of absolute scientific certainty cannot be used to delay protective measures when environmental risks are indicated. The ruling recognizes that for these indigenous communities, water is essential to their collective rights and cultural continuity.

In a separate development in the same region, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) attributed the recent poisoning of five minors in Nilchí to negligence in pesticide management. Officials suggested the children may have consumed fruit treated with a systemic insecticide, which remains active in plants for up to 20 days. Sader emphasized that producers are responsible for respecting safety periods before allowing the consumption of treated crops.