Huasteca and Tampico-Misantla groups demand fracking ban decree

Participants of the 7th Regional Forum ‘No to Fracking’ have called for a presidential decree to prohibit hydraulic fracturing in the Huasteca Potosina and the Tampico-Misantla basin. The agreement, reached during a meeting in Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, seeks to formalize previous commitments made by President Claudia Sheinbaum to protect the region's ecosystems and communities.

The proposed decree aims to provide comprehensive territorial protection against various extractive megaprojects, including toxic mining, large-scale water transfers, and intensive agro-industry. Advocates are also pushing for the Chamber of Deputies to expedite parliamentary processes to ban fracking within the Constitution.

Additionally, the forum expressed strong opposition to the Pánuco-Cerro Prieto aqueduct project (formerly Monterrey VI), labeling it socially and environmentally unfeasible. Critics argue the project would exacerbate water crises in the Huasteca region and negatively impact local agricultural and fishing activities. To safeguard the territory, participants plan to implement local legal instruments such as municipal regulations, community rules, and ecological land-use planning.