The inhabitants of the Ahuisculco ejido, in Jalisco, have spent more than three months fighting against a molasses producing company, which has contaminated their water sources. As a result, the residents have spent this time in a sit-in in front of the Congress of this same state.
Currently, the ejido, located in the municipality of Tala, has the most important biological corridor of the Primavera Forest – a natural reserve recognized by UNESCO on the western edge of Guadalajara.
The fight began in September 2015, when residents learned about excavations that a company would install tanks to process molasses. This is how the Ahuisculco Natural Resources Defense Committee was formed, where the inhabitants, concerned about pollution in the spring area, settled in a camp on the road in front of the construction.
Thanks to the resistance of this group of environmentalists, the University of Guadalajara has promised to review any environmental impact permit, since apparently the company does not have all the necessary documents to operate in the area.
This has made them, according to a representative of the company, an associate of the Mexican pharmaceutical company Pisa, willing to withdraw the project – or relocate it. If the project is completed in the current location, it is possible that the damage to the resource in the area will also affect neighboring towns – Cuisillos, Pacana and Presa La Vega.