Words by the staff of Fondo Acción Solidaria, A.C. (FASOL).
On any given day in Jalcomulco, a small village in Veracruz, Mexico, locals and tourists alike raft and kayak down the Los Pescados River, the designated heart and soul of the local community. Home to Mexico’s national rafting team, the river draws adventure seekers from far and wide, while children play on the banks, and fishermen catch freshwater prawns – a staple served in all local restaurants.
“The River provides for everyone, without it, Jalcomulco would disappear,” said local resident Miguel Ángel.
Yet the river is under threat, as are the livelihoods of the people of Jalcomulco and 30 other villages along La Antigua basin. The construction of a new hydroelectric dam, proposed by the multinational corporation, Odebrecht, puts the future of the treasured river in jeopardy.
If built, the dam would stand 100 meters high and flood approximately 1,000 acres of arable land. The dam would also have devastating consequences for Jalcomulco and the other communities situated along the river, transforming the once thriving Los Pescados River into nothing more than a small creek.
The people of Jalcomulco began defending the river in January 2014, when Odebrecht started preliminary construction in spite of a ban against the dam. The locals worked together with the other villages along the Los Pescados to prevent the corporation from accessing the site, coalescing to form the Comité de Pueblos Unidos de la Cuenca Antigua por Ríos Libres.
Together, the coalition removed the machinery that Odebrecht placed on the site of the proposed dam. They then established a permanent camp to monitor the river and to prevent any other machinery from entering the site. The camp has now been in existence for five years and is the place where all the efforts of the committee come together.
Global Greengrants Fund supported the community-led efforts to protect the river through our grantmaking arm in Mexico, Fondo Acción Solidaria, A.C. (FASOL). This funding allowed the committee to spread the word about its work to the neighboring communities and support legal action against Odebrecht and the proposed dam.
The fight has not been easy. In June 2018, through an executive order, the ban that protected La Antigua basin was lifted. Since then, almost half of the basin has been sold for private development projects. The names of the corporations that have acquired those concessions are still unknown, even though the law requires this information to be made public. In light of these developments, the committee intensified its work opposing the dam.
Today, the communities of La Antigua basin continue to defend their heart and soul. But they need your help to keep their lifeblood flowing for years to come. Click here to stand with river defenders in La Antigua basin and beyond.
Photo credit: Ivan Morales, FASOL