PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – Thursday morning saw dozens of local residents take to the streets in downtown Puerto Vallarta, demanding immediate action on the critical drinking water shortage in the region. The protesters blocked traffic on the Juárez and Morelos streets near the Municipal Palace in a bid to ensure their voices were heard.
These inhabitants hail from various neighborhoods across the municipality of Puerto Vallarta and have been grappling with an acute water scarcity that has, at times, stretched for several days. They not only report intermittent water supply but also a complete absence of the life-sustaining resource in their homes. Their plea is aimed at the local authorities, specifically Mayor Luis Alberto Michel, urging them to address their crisis.
A protest staged right outside the government building witnessed municipal officials from Seapal Vallarta, the local water authority, on the scene. The protesters held up placards bearing potent messages such as, “It is not a drought, it is looting,” indicating their belief that the crisis is more about mismanagement and making sure the tourist zones have all the water they need while the Mexican citizens don’t have access to the important natural resources.
Seapal informed residents earlier this month that there would be water rationing in some neighborhoods, but the zones that make up the tourist areas, and areas where most foreigners live in the city, would be exempt from any water rationing plan.
A heated exchange took place shortly after nine in the morning when a group of officials met with the protesters. The head of Seapal Vallarta, Jorge Castillo, dismissed the protestors, labeling their movement as a political ploy. The crowd, however, was quick to retort, shouting back, “We are not carried, we are the united people, we are demanding our right.”
Despite the high tensions and harsh words, the protestors have vowed not to back down. They insist that they will not leave the premises of the Municipal Palace until they are personally addressed by Mayor Luis Michel. As the struggle continues, the residents of Puerto Vallarta remain hopeful that their plight for a basic necessity, clean drinking water, will soon be resolved.
