Although there have already been complaints filed with Conagua and PROFEPA, the agencies have not acted.
Fenced and walled property; this is located inside the lake, in Riberas del Pilar. Photo: Courtesy.
Editor.- Both neighbors of the area, as well as activist groups in favor of the protection of the federal land, have denounced the lack of attention of the authorities to one of the lake invasions in the town of Riberas del Pilar.
This property is located on Paseo del Lago Street, between San Pablo and San Mateo and, according to witnesses, there are plans to build a house. The invaded space measures 75 meters in front, and 20 to 25 meters long facing the lake.
In this particular case, not only is it located on federal land, but the supposed owner is filling it with material now that the level of the lake has dropped, in order to be able to build, which indicates this property is within the territory of Lake Chapala, so that when the level rises, the space will be covered by water.
Some witnesses interviewed, who prefer to remain anonymous, stated that there have already been complaints filed with both the National Water Commission (Conagua) and the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), but neither agency has acted.
According to the witnesses, the Chapala government has closed the site on at least two occasions; however, the seals have been removed and services such as potable water and electricity have been provided.
The owner is known among the complainants as «El Torero», and they say that he is a very aggressive person who cares little about invasion issues. There is currently a stable on the land. One of the activists went to talk to the woman who takes care of the stables, who confirmed that he is planning to build a farm there, and so far, he has built the front wall.
The Indigenous Community of San Antonio Tlayacapan has become involved in the case, acting to reduce the land that was being appropriated, fencing off at least a third of it and placing signs warning that it belongs to the community.
Currently, the land containing the landfill is without any type of closure. The municipal president, Alejandro Aguirre Curiel, commented that he recently met with the secretary general of the Government of Jalisco, Enrique Ibarra Pedroza, to ask for support to be able to intervene and act in federal zones, since, being a federal matter, «it does not depend on them».
«There have been several meetings with the director of the Conagua, who sent a proposal, but it is very far from what we need; then we seek to rethink it […] they offered approach, advice and willingness to come, but we are looking for authority and power to intervene and act», assured the mayor.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
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