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Lead in the blood and millionaire losses, the tragedy of the Sonora River remains unsolved

2022-08-04T17:06:00.063Z


Eight years after the spill at the Buenavista del Cobre mine, those affected demand justice, reparation and convictions against Grupo México, responsible for the spill


It was the biggest environmental disaster in Mexico and it happened in the Sonora River.

On August 6, 2014, the Buenavista del Cobre mine, owned by the giant Grupo México, spilled 40 million liters of toxic waste that impacted the lives, crops and livestock of 22,000 people.

Eight years after that, those affected denounce serious damage to health and millionaire losses that have caused a massive exodus in the affected towns.

"They cut short our lives, they took away our customs, we live in a sad life," says Norberto Bustamante, a member of the Sonora River Basin Committees at a press conference they have given on the occasion of the anniversary.

A group of representatives of those affected, scientists linked to the case and representatives of the human rights organization PODER have shown for the first time the findings on the damages based on information from the Mexican Government that was denied by the previous Administration of Enrique Peña Nieto.

On April 8 of this year, the Ministry of Health and the National Center for Disease Control (Cenaprece) delivered the results of an analysis of 650 affected people in eight municipalities.

This data was essential to assess the magnitude of the damage: more than 95% of the population tested has lead in their blood;

50% arsenic and 79% cadmium.

Mario Salcido Romo, one of those affected by the Sonora River spill in 2014, shows the results of the presence of heavy metals in his body. POWER

Julio Enrique Martínez Bonilla, from San José de García, with his report, endorsed by Conacyt. PODER

María Irene León, 65, like the others, has arsenic, copper, lead, manganese, cadmium and mercury.POWER

José Manuel López Andrade, 9, is another of those affected. POWER

Diana Aurelia Andrade Ibarra, 39, from Baviácora, is another of those affected. POWER

Alma Castro López, from Topahue, is another of those affected by the spill in the Sonora River. POWER

The poisoning theory had been pointed out when Cofepris recognized in 2020 that the river water was contaminated with high concentrations of metals.

Wells for human consumption, agriculture, and livestock had high concentrations of contamination.

And in 2022, the Ministry of the Environment reported that Grupo México had been operating for 11 years without a hazardous waste management plan.

“To this information we must add that the percentages of the population where high risk and very high risk [due to heavy metal contamination] were detected range from 1 to 10% in each municipality and in which the risk of developing arsenicosis and neuropathy”, states the report presented by PODER.

The inhabitants have denounced that they suffer from tumors, leukemia and allergies, among other health problems, and that health care is not enough.

"I've been suffering from illnesses for a long time and I didn't know it was the cause of contamination," says María Filomena Bonilla, from the municipality of San José de Gracia.

The woman explains that the results indicate that her ailment has to do with heavy metals from the river.

“My husband passed away last year;

he left and never knew that the discomfort was due to metals, ”the woman laments.

After almost a decade, not only the economy of the region was affected, but also that of the entire State, located on the border with the United States.

Osfelio Vázquez, a resident of Bacanuchi, summed it up in statements to this newspaper: "We no longer plant because we don't sell it."

The towns of the Sonora river basin depend on agriculture, ranching, mining, tourism, and handicrafts, all of which are stigmatized by the spill.

The losses have been quantified by the organizations at 10.2 billion pesos (497 million dollars), a figure that triples what was predicted by the previous administration.

Meanwhile, those affected demand that the Government pay attention to the social, health, economic and environmental crisis;

and that responsibilities be placed on the company.

Norberto Bustamante, with a checkered shirt, and other members of the Sonora River Basin Committee this Wednesday during a press conference. Mario Guzmán (EFE)

The report includes other revelations, such as that there are still no water treatment plants, that the National Water Commission (Conagua) has delayed progress, that coordination between authorities needs to be improved, and that the hospital that had been promised for the affected.

Despite the environmental disaster, the federal government has allowed Grupo México to expand its mining exploitation with the construction of a new dam for its toxic waste, 23 kilometers from Bacanuchi, one of the towns most affected by contamination.

In 2020, the Supreme Court considered that the trust created to financially compensate the victims did not comply with the process of repairing the damages and the right of participation of those affected was violated, leaving the possibility that the current government would reopen it.

The trust only delivered small amounts of money to 351 people of the total affected, according to PODER.

This represents only 10% of the aid that was going to be allocated to resolve the crisis.

In response, the Government of López Obrador announced in 2021 a Comprehensive Care Plan for Cananea, the most important mining enclave in the country, which would include the remediation of the spill.

The president not only set out to solve the environmental problem of the region, hand in hand with the new governor, the official Alfonso Durazo, but also declared his interest in resolving old labor conflicts that exist in mining companies and, incidentally, close old wounds with Germán Larrea, the second richest man in Mexico.

The announcement included the mining company at the table, but not the affected communities.

The committees consider that this attitude was disrespectful.

López Obrador has described his claim to pacify the issue as something very difficult to achieve "it's like a utopia, but we're going to try",

Throughout these years the inhabitants of the Sonora River have been winning battles.

The case advances, although, they say, not enough.

Like Doña María Filomena's husband, some affected have died, others have left the towns and those who have stayed are fighting so that the catastrophe does not fall into oblivion.

“They took away our right to water and to life, but we have learned to fight, to document ourselves and to continue,” says Elda León, from the town of Banámichi.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2022-08-04

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