Citizen mobilizations are being called for in defense of Sierra La Laguna

Gilberto Santisteban Flores

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La Paz, Baja California Sur.- Activists and civil society organizations in Baja California Sur have called on the public to stay informed and remain alert to any mobilizations that may arise in defense of the Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra La Laguna, in response to the “Santuario del Tío Checo” project.

According to the Frente Ciudadano en Defensa del Agua y la Vida (Freciudav), the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) shows several clear inconsistencies. For example:

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It also specifies that Fundación Hermandad en Armonía estimates the project could be completed in six months; however, it requested a 10-year validity period for the authorization.

Members of Freciudav warn that the discrepancy between the estimated construction time and the requested authorization period, as well as the proportion of the property involved, raises concerns about potential future developments on the remaining 810,000 square meters.

They believe this could be a strategy to fragment projects and avoid submitting a regional Environmental Impact Statement that would evaluate all cumulative impacts.

In this regard, the Front’s environmental defense specialists emphasized that impacts must always be considered cumulative, even if they are presented as low-level effects.

They stressed that Sierra La Laguna is the main source of water for the population of La Paz and Los Cabos, and that any project that could put this ecosystem at risk also poses a danger to residents.

Concern over recent reform

The Cámara de Diputados unanimously approved a modification to Article 46 of the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection, removing the prohibition on introducing endemic and native species into Protected Natural Areas throughout Mexico.

This amendment must still be reviewed and voted on by the Senado de la República; however, it represents a legal advantage for Fundación Hermandad en Armonía, as it eliminates prohibitions that had previously hindered its project in Sierra La Laguna.

Although the first phase of the conservation center is intended to be installed in San Miguelito, below the ANP, there are plans to introduce exotic species such as the bighorn sheep and the pronghorn on the Nuestra Señora del Rosario property, which is located within the Biosphere Reserve.

Attorney and Freciudav member Arturo Rubio Ruiz explained that what the Chamber of Deputies did was remove a specific safeguard against this project, raising concern among specialists, particularly since the reform was promoted by the caucus of the Partido Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM).

Fundación Hermandad en Armonía is linked to figures from the PVEM, such as former national leader Jorge Emilio González, who is part of the group that acquired the Nuestra Señora del Rosario property. Likewise, the president of the association, Carlos Esquivel Lacroix, appears as Director of Animal Welfare for the PVEM in Mexico City.

In this context, Freciudav warned that it is also preparing a legal defense front in response to any situation that may arise from this reform.

Demand for Government Action

They explained that Sierra La Laguna is an area of vital ecological importance covering more than 112,000 hectares, while the property in question encompasses 3,600 hectares—equivalent to 3.2 percent of the total size of the Protected Natural Area.

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“For this reason, we demand that the three levels of government expropriate those 3,600 hectares, because it is essential that Sierra La Laguna remain a public good, preventing projects that impact the unique species of our mountain range and ensuring that we are not left without water,” they concluded.