Socio-environmental conflict between government and miners: the history of a protected natural area in northern Mexico

Abstract

The document describes the dynamics of a conflict occurred from 1997 to 2003 between a group of miners, as opponents, and institutions of the Mexican government, as promoters, resulting from a proposal for a decree concerning the protected natural area called “Mavavi Biosphere Reserve”, which covered an area of 780.114 ha, in a zone of hydrological significance for the states of Sonora, Mexico and Arizona, USA. The decree process seemed successful, but was complicated by the elements used by opponents who managed the non-conservation policy. The paper answers the question of which were the dynamics, the actors and the strategies followed by each of the groups that derived in the cancellation of the decree. We conclude that the decree process failed due to the opposition from a group of miners, who did not had a counterweight in the promoter group as a result of elements of national and local politics, lack of public involvement and lack of coordination of government agencies that promoted the proposal.

Aquí se describe la dinámica del conflicto ocurrido de 1997 a 2003 entre un grupo de mineros, como opositores, y de instituciones del gobierno mexicano, como promotores, derivado de la propuesta de decreto del área natural protegida denominada Reserva de la Biosfera Mavavi, que cubría 780 114 ha, en una zona de relevancia hidrológica para los estados de Sonora, en México, y de Arizona, en Estados Unidos. El proceso parecía exitoso, pero se complicó debido a los elementos empleados por los opositores, quienes lograron la no política de conservación. En el artículo se analizan las dinámicas, los actores y las estrategias seguidas por cada una de las partes, que derivaron en la cancelación del decreto, ya que los mineros no tuvieron contrapeso en los promotores, como resultado de elementos de política nacional y local, ausencia del involucramiento público y falta de coordinación de las agencias gubernamentales que promovían la propuesta.