Tenacatita Update 5/13/13

Posted by Dobie on May 14, 2013, 7:18 am

After months with no news, there has finally been some forward movement. On May 8, 2 members of the Rebalsito ejido and fishing cooperative, along with several lawyers and associates, went to Mexico City and filed a denuncia (formal complaint) with the Attorney General’s office relating to the events that took place on August 4, 2010 when the beach was taken over and everyone was forced to leave their homes and businesses. It also included events that happened later that night, when drunk security police came into town and terrorized people, shooting guns into the air as well as firing rubber bullets, storming into houses and roughing people up (including minors and an elderly man). Other federal offences, like cutting the mangroves, were also noted. 

Individual denuncias were filed with the county shortly after August 4, but never went anywhere. It was obvious what side the government was on. Meetings with state and federal officials (when they happened) were a sham. The fact that the denuncia filed last week was accepted is a good thing. Hopefully this time the charges will be investigated and the papers won’t languish in the desk of some bureaucrat. 

The other positive news is that SEMARNAT (the environmental agency) won the amparo filed by Rodenas regarding the concession. To briefly review, Rodenas’ concession (the right to use federal property, in this case, Tenacatita beach) came up for renewal in 2012 and SEMARNAT refused to renew their permit. Then SEMARNAT gave the concession to the municipality of La Huerta. Rodenas filed an amparo (similar to an injunction) against La Huerta and SEMARNAT which has prevented La Huerta from taking possession. Although SEMARNAT won, the case still has to go through a review, and then a final decision is made. Usually whoever wins the case, wins the review because the decision can only change if new information is introduced, but this is not always the case. 

Tenacatita Update

Posted by dobie on March 22, 2011, 7:49 am

Unfortunately it appears that not much has changed at Tenacatita. The fence is still up, the gates are still closed, and access is still given very arbitrarily. At the last ejido meeting, a letter was read from SEMARNAT. Apparently they came to serve Rodenas with a fine for cutting mangroves and an order to replant the amount of trees that they had cut down. Unfortunately they weren't allowed in. On the legal front, the juicios (judgments) are starting to be heard. A new acuerdo (agreement) is being worked out by the government, ejido lawyers and diputado David Hernandez (the one who pulled the gate down with his pickup truck). It looks like they're trying to work something out before Semana Santa.

A reporter for a Mexican business magazine called PODER (POWER) was here last weekend interviewing people. She also had a 2 hour interview with Villalobos in Guadalajara. Her article is supposed to be done soon; she'll let me know when it's ready.

I know many people think the battle has been lost but I don't believe that. Villalobos hasn't started building anything - back in August he said that in 6 months there would be a hotel. The juicios are proceeding, which means many lawyers, judges, and engineers have been out to the property to see for themselves the destruction (although some have been denied access or told to come back another day).

La lucha sigue, Tenacatita vive