Article by PBI-Canada

Peoples’ Front: “The demonstration was mobilized from CONAGUA to the State Congress.”

On March 22, the Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project posted: “Today we accompanied the Peoples’ Front of Morelos, Puebla, and Tlaxcala in a series of activities called within the framework of World Water Day.”

“During the morning, we went to visit the sit-in in the municipality of Alaya, and later we stayed in front of the CONAGUA office in Cuernavaca. In the afternoon, we accompanied a peaceful demonstration that took place in front of the Cuernavaca Congress.”

PBI-Mexico highlights that at the meeting with CONAGUA “the Front demanded respect for the water rights of the ejidos of Ayala, Morelos, which are affected by the operation of the thermoelectric plant in Huexca.”

For context: Cuernavaca, situated about 90 kilometers south of Mexico City, is the capital city of the state of Morelos. Alaya, a municipality that will be affected by the thermoelectric plant, voted against the project in 2019. CONAGUA is the National Water Commission. And the ejidos (communal agricultural lands) of the city of Ayala in the state of Morelos depend on the Cuautla River that the plant will draw water from.

The Peoples’ Front has argued that the aqueduct – that will take 50 million liters of water a day from the Cuautla River to plant to cool its turbines – is illegal because CONAGUA has not granted the permits necessary for its construction.

And yet, as PBI-Mexico points out, “The aqueduct was built.”

The gas pipeline that will feed the thermoelectric plant was reportedly completed in December 2015 and was ready for operation in April 2016.

And Latino Rebels recently reported: “Operations at the newly constructed thermoelectric plant in Huexca, Morelos could begin in the near future.”

Despite this, the People’s Front continues its struggle against the Morelos Integral Project (PIM) comprised of the gas pipeline, aqueduct and thermoelectric plant.

PBI-Mexico has accompanied the Peoples’ Front since 2020.

Photos from today’s accompaniment: