Yucatán Communities Sue Pig Farms Over Water Contamination

Mérida, Yucatán — Representatives from various communities in Yucatán have presented a new popular complaint against the operation of pig farms in the state, condemning significant damage to health, the environment, and the ways of life of the Maya people. The action was backed by organizations and lawyers who have supported the fight against these megaprojects for years.

Attorney Lourdes Medina Carrillo reported that the complaint is supported by recent evidence confirming water contamination, including in water distributed as potable. Studies from the Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Marine Natural Products at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) detected the presence of fecal bacteria, coliforms, and E. coli in wells and piped water from communities such as Kinchil, Maxcanú, Kopomá, Chocholá, Santa María Chi, San Fernando, San Rafael, Santa Teresa, and Paraíso.

“We are talking about a current risk faced by the entire population, especially girls, boys, and elderly adults,” warned the attorney. She added that these findings are compounded by studies from Johns Hopkins University, which, through a genetic marker, confirmed the water is specifically contaminated with pig fecal matter, ruling out human or wild animal origins.

Medina specified that the federal environmental authority itself recognized in 2023 the existence of more than 500 pig farms in Yucatán, of which fewer than ten had environmental impact authorization. “We are talking about an industry in total illegality,” she criticized.

For his part, attorney and activist Jorge Fernández Mendiburu recalled that a first regional complaint against these farms had already been filed in 2020, which led to an official report from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) in 2023 documenting their impacts. However, he lamented that the document remained “a mere recording of the damages” without strong legal or administrative actions.

The current complaint, the attorney detailed, demands that new Environmental Impact Assessments and farm expansions in the state not be authorized, that existing judicial suspensions be complied with—as in the case of Santa María Chi—and that the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) promote collective actions for the comprehensive repair of damages.

Santa María Chi: Farm in Judicial Defiance

The commissioner of Santa María Chi, Wilberth Nahuat Puc, denounced that the mega pig farm operated by the company Pecuaria Peninsular, owned by the Loret de Mola Coldwell family, continues to operate less than 100 meters from homes, despite a federal judge ordering its immediate closure and the removal of the animals.

“Until now, Profepa has imposed 17 sanctions and a fine of more than 14 million pesos, which has not been paid. The farm continues to operate as if nothing is happening, in an act of impunity that violates the rule of law,” he asserted.

Community Testimonies

The complaints were reinforced with testimonies from residents who live with the consequences daily. Diana Can Pat, a neighbor of San Rafael, narrated that the contamination has reached the water in primary schools, forcing families to buy bottled water even to bathe babies, as well water causes skin rashes.

She also recounted that the smell from the farms permeates homes and prevents families from carrying out daily activities under dignified conditions. Similarly, she revealed threats and violence against those who speak out in defense of their territory.

One case is that of beekeepers from a cooperative in Maxcanú, who lost their organic honey certification in 2019 due to the proximity of the farms: “that loss has cost us almost one and a half million pesos, but beyond the money, what is at risk is our ancestral relationship with the bees and the land.”

Immediate Actions Demanded

The communities and collectives reiterated that they will no longer accept more diagnoses or promises of studies, but rather concrete measures to stop the contamination. Among their petitions are the intervention of Profepa and Semarnat, compliance with court orders, and the filing of criminal complaints with the Attorney General's Office for environmental crimes.

“Today we speak with proof. It can no longer be denied that the water of Yucatán is being contaminated by the pig industry. The authorities have an obligation to act,” concluded attorney Lourdes Medina.