Local Community Group Succeeds with Judge’s Ruling to Restore Dunes

April 25, 2024

A recent court ruling regarding a project in the Ensenada area provides us with an excellent example of how communities can act to ensure that the local environment is protected consistent with Mexican law.

A federal judge has ordered the municipal government to restore the coastal dunes of Playa Hermosa. The dunes were damaged during the construction of a skate park project which was ordered by Mayor Armando Ayala Robles without the required environmental authorizations.

The judgement follows complaints filed in May 2021 by members of a Mexican community organization, Ciudadania Mexicana, represented by Gabriel Camacho Jiminez, who spoke at La Alianza’s presentation at Gertrude Pearlman Theater on April 2. Ciudandania Mexicana sought a legal remedy against the municipal authorities for the execution of the Malecón y Núcleos de Servicio en Playa Hermosa project, which caused damage to the environment and violated citizens’ right to live in a healthy environment.

While Playa Hermosa is north of the Punta Banda peninsula, outside La Alianza’s geography of focus, the same environmental laws apply to the Punta Banda peninsula. The Constitution of Mexico states that persons have a right to a healthy environment for their development and well-being. The government has the responsibility as well as the mandate to ensure that this right is afforded and protected. This successful ruling is an example of how community action in Mexico can make a difference in protecting the environment. Hats off to Ciudadania Mexicana.

Read the article HERE