Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda is backing Mexico’s newly approved General Law of National Waters, calling it a reaffirmation that water belongs to the public, as established in the country’s Constitution.
Speaking at her weekly morning conference, Ávila framed the law as a response to long-standing concerns.
“We fully support President Claudia Sheinbaum for promoting this law, which is based on water being a human right. It halts the hoarding of this resource and prevents a few from concentrating it,” she said.
The governor highlighted that the reform followed extensive dialogue with community groups, government agencies, productive sectors, and watering districts — discussions she said helped address public doubts and counter widespread misinterpretations.
She also moved to clarify what the law does not do. According to Ávila, it does not prohibit inheriting properties with water concessions, block the sale of land with valid water titles, mandate automatic revocation of concessions, criminalize small producers, or restrict water transfers for agricultural or livestock use. The text also formally recognizes the historical water rights of Indigenous peoples and long-standing community water systems.
“It is false that this reform is a disguised expropriation to benefit large companies or hand over water to the United States. The objective is to reverse the commodification of water resulting from the 1992 law and stop abuses like hoarding, overexploitation, speculation, and the black market,” she said.
Víctor Daniel Amador Barragán, head of the state’s Secretariat for Water Management, Sanitation, and Protection, said the law will expand rainwater harvesting efforts for household use and strengthen community water systems in underserved areas. It also incorporates support for family farming and introduces stronger measures against water theft.
Under the reform, penalties for water theft can reach 30,000 UMAs, which amounts to about 3.39 million pesos or roughly $196,000 USD.
State officials noted that dialogue with agricultural and livestock sectors will continue, particularly in regions such as Ensenada, Maneadero, and San Quintín.
