Kumiai heritage threatened by U.S. border wall construction

The MORENA parliamentary group has called on Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to intensify diplomatic mediation with the United States. This request follows reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has used explosives during border wall expansion projects in the Tecate and Tijuana areas.

The use of explosives has reportedly caused damage to ceremonial spaces, archaeological vestiges, and environmental alterations affecting Mexican communities. The Kumiai people have identified Cerro Cuchumá—a sacred mountain and ancestral site for ceremonies and rites—as being under threat. The site is recognized as part of Mexico’s Intangible Cultural Heritage and was included in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

While the Baja California government has initiated dialogue with the community and the state Secretariat of Culture has requested a suspension of explosive use, local leaders and civil organizations are seeking federal diplomatic intervention to protect the site.