Chihuahua State Congress approves tourism reforms without indigenous consultation

The Chihuahua State Congress has approved a reform regarding tourism corridors, including the Sierra Tarahumara, without consulting local indigenous communities. The decree establishes guidelines for approving resources and determining the need for infrastructure and maintenance within these corridors through government authority.

Indigenous legislator Edith Palma, representing the Morena party, denounced the move as a violation of the right to free, prior, and informed consultation mandated by both the Mexican Constitution and international standards, such as ILO Convention 169. Palma noted that the reform lacks mechanisms to involve the communities located along these corridors.

The reform was proposed by Carlos Olson Sanvicente of the National Action Party (PAN). A motion presented by Palma to return the decree to the Commission to ensure proper consultation failed after receiving only 12 votes.