In Baja California Sur, citizen resistance has so far managed to stop mega-tourism developments such as La Abundancia, Baja Bay, Kuni, and Los Cardones, demanding the maintenance of the environmental and social balance of the region.
The recent revocation of the authorization of the La Abundancia project in Cabo Pulmo, announced by Alicia Bárcena, head of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), is an example of a series of projects rejected by the community and authorities in response to social pressure.
Baja California Sur has four national parks: Cabo Pulmo, Bahía de Loreto, Sierra de la Laguna, and Zona Marina del Archipiélago de Espíritu Santo.
These are notable for their enormous biodiversity and ecological wealth. In addition, the state is home to multiple Protected Natural Areas (ANP) that represent a fundamental extension for the conservation of species and ecosystems.
According to the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp), there are a total of 15 protected natural areas in Baja California Sur, including Cabo Pulmo National Park and the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve.
Cabo Pulmo, located in the municipality of Los Cabos, is an iconic area, considered one of the last living coral reefs in the eastern Pacific.
This area is a vital refuge for numerous marine species and is known for the spectacular recovery of its biodiversity after being declared a national park in 1995.
This protected area has been the focal point of recent conflicts, in which civil society has mobilized to protect this natural treasure.
Balandra, on the other hand, located north of the city of La Paz, is one of the most emblematic beaches in Baja California Sur, famous for its unique landscape and its symbolic “Balandra mushroom.”
Conanp includes it within the group of Protected Natural Areas under the title of Balandra Flora and Fauna Protection Zone, highlighting its importance not only as a tourist attraction, but as an essential habitat for terrestrial and marine species.
Its protection has been constantly demanded by citizens, especially in view of the risk of tourist overexploitation.
La Abundancia and Baja Bay: social pressure as a decisive factor
La Abundancia sought to install a tourist complex in the vicinity of Cabo Pulmo National Park. This project, promoted by GRE El Rincón S. de R.L. de C.V., included the construction of a hotel, tourist residences, a beach club, and a commercial area on more than 68 hectares, part of which were within the National Park.
However, the authorization of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was revoked after determining that its approval was inadequate and contradicted the opinions of Conanp.
The revocation was not an isolated process. According to Bárcena, Semarnat has begun a thorough review of all developments in Cabo Pulmo, including the Baja Bay Club project.
The project covers 610 hectares in the community of La Ribera and plans the construction of residential villas, hotels and a golf course.
Citizens and environmental groups have pointed out the risk of overexploitation of the local aquifer, as well as the irreversible impact on the flora and fauna of the area.
“We are concerned because the Cabo Pulmo National Park is a priority for us,” said Bárcena, in a clear demonstration of the current position of the federal government.
Another emblematic example of social resistance against mega-developments is the case of the Kuni mega-project.
Initially announced as a model of luxury tourism, Kuni was publicly cancelled by the government of Baja California Sur after a series of protests pointing out its risks to the environment.
During a speech at the municipal president Milena Quiroga’s report, Governor Victor Castro was blunt in stating: “We will not allow any mega-development of any kind that threatens the environment. This mega-development is cancelled.”
However, the company gave up on filing its environmental impact paperwork before obtaining any negative resolution from Semarnat.
The pressure exerted by citizens, together with environmental groups, was decisive in this decision, so that the governor would speak out.
Protesters denounced that Kuni will reproduce the predatory development model that has generated belts of misery in other parts of the state, such as Los Cabos.
“La Paz is valued for its nature, not for large hotels or cruise ships,” emphasized Adrian Trasviña, one of the leaders of the movement.
The construction of hotels and tourist areas on a large scale would require energy and water resources that La Paz cannot provide without affecting local communities, many of which already face crises in the supply of basic services.
Los Cardones: historical debt of Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Not only have tourism projects faced community rejection. Last September, Semarnat annulled the environmental impact authorization granted to the Los Cardones mining project, promoted by Desarrollos Zapal S.A. de C.V. in 2014.
This project intended to install an open pit mine in the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve, a crucial area for the recharge of aquifers that supply approximately 67% of the state’s population and is home to various endemic species.
Civil organizations, including the Citizen Front in Defense of Water and Life (Freciudav) and more than 25 thousand citizens mobilized to prevent the exploitation of the Sierra, since they accused the project of representing an unacceptable risk for biodiversity and the availability of water in the region.
“This decision represents an achievement of the citizen organization and a significant advance in the defense of the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve,” said the organizations after the revocation. However, Semarnat must issue a new resolution in the coming months, which keeps the community on alert.
More than 37 organizations
The rejection of mega-developments in Baja California Sur has not been a solitary struggle. In the state, more than 37 organizations are part of the environmental defense front, with groups such as Agua Vale Más que Oro, Medio Ambiente y Sociedad (MAS), and the Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Cemda) standing out, among others.
These organizations have managed to add voices and make visible the potentially devastating impact of projects such as La Abundancia, Kuni and Baja Bay.
Citizens have been the driving force behind this resistance. Dr. Micheline Cariño, professor-researcher at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS), said that these megaprojects “put at risk not only our environment, but also our economy and culture. What they promote is real estate speculation and dispossession.”
Cariño’s words resonate with the testimonies of those who live in the peripheral colonies of La Paz, such as Ampliación Villas de Guadalupe, who face shortages in basic services and see these developments as another threat to their quality of life.
In addition to environmental problems, the community has denounced the social and economic impact that these projects could bring.
The construction of 20 thousand hotel rooms, such as those proposed in Kuni, would increase the pressure on the already limited water supply, worsening a water crisis that affects thousands of families in the region.
“We have been without water for months, the infrastructure of basic services has collapsed, and in the meantime, these projects only worsen the crisis,” said residents of the La Paz colony, Ampliación Villas de Guadalupe, during a recent demonstration.
The story of these mega-developments in Baja California Sur is that of a community that refuses to be ignored by environmental authorities.
The defense of the territory and the environment has become a common cause that unites residents, academics, and activists.
The revocation or cancellation of projects such as La Abundancia, Kuni, and Los Cardones shows that social pressure can confront economic interests that try to transform the state’s landscape without considering its inhabitants.
However, the fight is far from over. The review of authorizations for projects such as Baja Bay Club and the uncertainty about the future of Los Cardones, as well as the possible redesign of the Kuni project keep citizens in constant mobilization.
“We will not let them destroy our territory. This is only the beginning of a fight that we will defend with all the legal tools at our disposal,” concluded the organizers of a recent march.
For Baja California Sur, the defense of its natural resources is also the defense of its future.
Source: elsudcaliforniano
