Mérida, Yucatán — Activists from Mercy for Animals staged a protest on Paseo de Montejo in Mérida, accusing large-scale pig farms of polluting water sources and mistreating animals, and demanding that authorities step up oversight of the industry in Yucatán.
During the demonstration, the activists placed an inflatable pig between metal barriers and then symbolically released it, a reference to the confined conditions in which thousands of animals are kept inside pork production facilities.
Demands for a census and sanctions
The group called on officials to carry out an effective census of the pig farms operating in the state, so the number of facilities is known and their compliance with environmental and animal welfare regulations can be verified.
They also asked that sanctions be imposed on companies that fail to meet the rules, particularly amid concerns about the impact such operations may have on the state’s water resources.
Another central grievance concerned the San Gerardo farm in the Santa María Chi community, which authorities shut down. Protesters demanded information about what happened to the thousands of pigs removed from the facility, as well as transparency about the conditions in which they were moved and where they are now.
Mercy for Animals reiterated its call for stronger supervision of Yucatán’s pork industry and for guarantees that its operations comply with both environmental protection rules and animal welfare standards.
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