Lopez Obrador Ratifies Mexico's Environmental Commitments

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador today ratified his government's commitment to caring for the environment with prohibitions on the use of techniques that damage it and negative concessions.

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In his morning press conference, the president specifically referred to avoiding the use of transgenic corn seed, banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the exploitation of hydrocarbons, rational water management and responsibility in the awarding of mining concessions.

The president particularly emphasized this last issue given the renewal of the controversy with Grupo Mexico, the company that seriously contaminated the Sonora River and drinking water wells due to copper waste.

He denounced the exaggeration of concessions over vast territories that were awarded to mining companies in the previous six years, representing 37.5 million hectares, equivalent to 40 percent of the national territory.

He clarified that with these observations the government is not canceling the current concessions, but ending this practice, as enough resources for millions of years have already been conceded.

Until recently, he recalled, taxes were not even paid for mineral extraction and his government had to apply measures to eliminate tax forgiveness.