Translated by Jesús Ronquillo / Circuito Frontera
The “dispute” over the legal status of El Chamizal park continues more than a year after an agreement was reached between authorities from the three levels of government and citizens, because despite being a space that has been under discussion for decades between Mexico and the United States, now the “fight” is about administrative procedures.
Click here for the Spanish versión
El Chamizal is a historical space in Ciudad Juarez that, after decades of a dispute over the land, 65 years ago, was returned to Mexico by the United States.
In 2021, this public park was the subject of discussion among environmentalists, businessmen and government authorities, since it was intended to build a Convention and Visitors Center in the area, which in the end did not happen.
However, it is worth remembering that on February 1, 2022, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the Juarez City Council, Programs for the Development of the State of Chihuahua and citizens for SEMARNAT to carry out a series of technical works for the delimitation of polygons in this space, which covers 333.26 hectares.
Point 4 of this agreement also states that the National Commission of Protected Areas would intervene to analyze the environmental situation.
As a result of this situation, at the beginning of 2023, the Municipality announced that 80 hectares of El Chamizal would be considered by the Federation as a voluntary conservation area.
However, to date, the local Municipality has not yet received the certificate that accredits such action. In this regard, this Wednesday, the City Council approved an exhortation to SEMARNAT to expedite this process.
On this subject, Councilwoman Alma Arredondo Salinas, coordinator of the Ecology Commission, commented to Circuito Frontera that the main objective is to request the issuance of the certificate by the federal authority to support the conservation of El Chamizal park.
He explained that in this way, the City Council could maintain the conservation of the space, as well as the creation of a Consultative Council is necessary to make decisions about the direction of El Chamizal.
This council would be in charge of analyzing the park’s needs and, in turn, resources could be obtained from the Federation and allocated to El Chamizal.
During the Cabildo session, activist María Antonia Ríos, from the Chamizal Conciencia Ciudadana collective, was present and said that various aspects of this issue should be analyzed, as she considered that the nature of the park should be public.
She mentioned that the park’s sustainability should not be based on rent or through commercial activities in this space, since according to the El Chamizal Resolution of the International Commission on Limits and Waters “CILA”, it is specified that it will have other purposes.
This document refers to the following: “It was agreed that the reclaimed land would be used exclusively for sports, civic and cultural purposes and that it would never be allowed to be used for commercial purposes”.
He pointed out that one of the key points of the current discussion is the interpretation of the term “sustainable”, since sustainability should relate more to ecological conservation than to the generation of income through commercial activities. He also said that the reproduction of native species and the promotion of local fauna are essential elements of sustainability.
He also emphasized the need to verify how the park is regulated as a public space and how local communities, especially indigenous peoples, can be involved in its protection.
Likewise, Daniel Delgadillo Díaz, from the Árboles en Resistencia collective, which is part of the Frente en Defensa de El Chamizal, pointed out that as a collective they have asked that the 333 hectares of the park be protected, as well as the revocation of the current bailments.
This land, although the Federation gave 248.47 hectares to the municipality of Juárez in 1987, to date, the City Council has given 107 hectares through gratuitous loan contracts to civil associations, individuals and government offices, as documented by Circuito Frontera.
Delgadillo Díaz explained that the park’s liberation is something they have been fighting for years, since, according to the law, El Chamizal should be free access and should not have any areas for commerce nor should it have any bailees.
He also indicated that they are looking for the Federation to declare Chamizal a national park, so that it will be as a natural area in its entirety, not just the 80 hectares suggested by the local City Council.
The activist emphasized the importance of using tree species native to the region and promoting the reproduction of local fauna as part of a sustainable approach.
Although he considered that the resolution of the current problems facing El Chamizal could be resolved through the Federation and the State Chamber of Deputies, which raises questions about the role and influence of local aldermen in making decisions related to the park.
