An idyllic spot near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where a mountain river meets the sea has long been loved for its wildlife and natural beauty. But a recent move by a local company to allegedly “dam up” the Los Horcones river sparked outrage and activism that went far beyond the town.
Local residents rose up in protest, successfully pressuring government officials to freeze construction in order to make sure the company had all the building permits in order.
The company clarified they were building a hydroelectric source of energy that would benefit the entire community - not a dam as residents had feared.
Members of the community though, are still up in arms. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down their activism but hasn't totally eased their concerns that the project will have a negative impact on their lives.
Our correspondent Harris Whitbeck reports from Jalisco, Mexico
The world’s rivers are some of the most vital natural resources, sustaining life wherever they flow. But in Mexico, one water body is causing real problems, making environmental concerns grow over industrial and urban development.
It’s a question that is becoming increasingly urgent as concern grows that the world’s largest original forest – a key defense against global warming – risks being destroyed by farming, logging and climate change.
One solution may lie partly in private hands.
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