Indigenous groups and fishermen protest industrial projects in Mexico

In Sinaloa, indigenous Mayo-Yoreme communities and the collective ‘¡Aquí No!’ are protesting the construction of an ammonia plant in Topolobampo. The project, developed by Gas Petroquímica de Occidente (GPO)—a Mexican subsidiary of the Swiss group Proman—is approximately 88 percent complete. Protesters have occupied access points to the facility to demand its cancellation, citing risks of ammonia leaks and threats to the Ohuira Bay ecosystem. Critics also allege that the project proceeded without the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous populations, despite $860 million in financing from the German public bank KfW IPEX-Bank.

In Sonora, fishing cooperatives in Guaymas are expressing conflicting concerns regarding the Amigo LNG floating liquefaction plant. While local fishermen worry about the environmental impact of the terminal and increased tanker traffic in the Gulf of California, they also expressed distrust toward certain environmental groups. Leaders of the Guaymas Fishing Cooperatives Federation noted that some activists might push for the Gulf of California to be declared a critical habitat, which could lead to marine zone closures and severe restrictions on local fishing activities.