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Tractor Blockade at Mexico’s Congress: Farmers Rally Against Proposed National Water Law

Dozens of farmers used tractors to block an entrance to Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies in protest of a proposed General Water Law they say would divert water from rural areas and threaten livelihoods. The draft, backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum and debated in a Congress where Morena holds a majority, would tighten regulation of water concessions and strengthen penalties for water-related crimes. Farmers recently lifted blockades across seven states after talks with the government but warned they may resume or escalate protests if the bill advances without changes.

08:30 AM, 12/04/2025Politics
Tractor Blockade at Mexico’s Congress: Farmers Rally Against Proposed National Water Law

Dozens of farmers drove tractors into Mexico City and blocked an entrance to the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday to protest a proposed national General Water Law that they say would tighten federal controls and divert water away from rural communities.

The protesters gathered outside the congressional chamber to denounce the draft law, arguing it threatens their livelihoods and undermines what they describe as a basic right to water. Demonstrators warned the measure would allow discretionary reallocation of water resources away from agricultural areas.

“If it affects the countryside, it affects the city!”

Jorge Robles, a farmer from the northern state of Chihuahua, described the protest as opposition to what he called an imposition by the federal government. “We are protesting against the imposition by the federal government of a new water law, a reform that puts at risk the ownership of our lands,” he said.

What the proposal would do

The draft, supported by President Claudia Sheinbaum and currently debated in the Chamber of Deputies where her Morena party holds a majority, would give the federal government greater authority to regulate water concessions and impose tougher penalties for water-related crimes. Backers say the reforms aim to curb widespread corruption in the water concessions sector and improve resource management.

Wider protests and demands

The tractor caravan arrived in the capital less than a week after farmers and allied truck drivers ended road blockades in at least seven states. Those earlier protests combined opposition to the water bill with complaints about highway insecurity and demands for higher prices for staple crops such as corn and wheat.

Authorities negotiated an agreement that led to the lifting of the blockades, but agricultural leaders warned they are prepared to escalate actions if the water bill advances without changes that meet their concerns.

Context: The debate over the General Water Law highlights tensions between federal efforts to centralize water regulation and rural communities seeking to protect local access to water and land rights. Lawmakers will decide next steps as protests continue to put pressure on legislators to address farmers’ demands.

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