Sunday, June 1, 2025

Fishermen’s houses burned to make way for wind farm

Twenty houses were set on fire Wednesday as a dispute flared up over a proposed wind farm in the Oaxaca coastal municipality of San Francisco del Mar.

Municipal authorities and a community of fishermen are at odds over the Boca Barra wind farm, which was first proposed three years ago. The indigenous fishermen of Pueblo Viejo have strongly opposed it, refusing to give up 15,000 hectares of coastal land.

Yesterday, the municipal representative in Pueblo Viejo, Francisco Álvarez, led a group of supporters to the beach where they set fire to some 20 palapa-roofed houses belonging to the fishermen.

The latter filed a formal complaint and then proceeded to block access to Pueblo Viejo and cut off the town’s electrical power.

The fishermen claim that Álvarez wants to force them to leave the land so the municipality can grant it to the wind farm project. They also charged that Mayor Froylan Gaspar Pedro was behind the arson attack.

The municipality has claimed that the wind farm will be “for the benefit of all.”

The state deputy secretary for political development, Carlos Ramos, said his staff have traveled to the coastal municipality to arrange negotiations between both parties. Two previous attempts to negotiate a solution have failed.

No arrests were reported after the arson attack or the suspension of the town’s power supply.

Source: Milenio (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Claudia Sheinbaum with a serious expression and a Mexican flag

Claudia versus the cartels: A perspective from our CEO

28
Mexico News Daily CEO Travis Bembenek assesses the Sheinbaum administration's progress — or lack thereof — against Mexico's powerful cartels.
News quiz

The MND News Quiz of the week: May 31st

0
Dodgy dams, foreign investment and police supercars: Test your knowledge of the last 7 days of news!
Heavy machinery sits in a river bed with a partly demolished dam, next to a large hacienda-style house

Water commission demolishes illegal dams built by Chihuahua ex-governor

0
The unpermitted dams blocked a Rio Grande tributary, redirecting the water to irrigate Duarte's cattle ranch and walnut orchard.