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Ajijic Citizens Take Action Against Privatization of Federal Zones


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PÁGINA Que sí se lee· 

This is from the above newspaper's FB page.  Bastardized google translate....feel free to correct.  But all in all a sign that locals are organizing agains private companies and familes who are fencing off the Ajijic lakefront.

#Comunidad
 || The people are demonstrating: Liberating federal areas in Ajijic
By Editor
In an unprecedented event, Ajijic residents shot down cyclone fences installed in the federal area of #LakeDeChapala in protest, because they have not received a response from federal authorities to their multiple reports of invasion of land on the bank.
It was last August 10, around 7 pm, when around 30 people arrived in a large federal area, which is reached down Tio Domingo Street, to the east of Ajijic, where there were two fractions of terrain circulated with cyclone mesh.
Days before, on social networks, it was reported that in one of these two fractions the construction of a stone wall was underway, which is illegal, since companies are prohibited from building in federal areas, i.e. nonconformers ..
Tired of no response from the authorities, protesters proceeded to lay down the tights ′′ to pull and pizotons ", to make dealerships understand ′′ that federal areas do not belong to them, that they belong to the people and to the people ", they said.
Within minutes, the adrenaline climbed and they took down the mesh surrounding almost two acres in front of a property of a renowned Guadalajara family, and the same happened to the mesh of the other area where the stone wall was built.
One woman, who asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation, said that the problem of invasions is that there is no surveillance or concrete actions by the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), which is responsible for resolving this issue.
′′ They authorize concessions, but they never monitor and with this problem we have years, many years, complaints and complaints, and the answer they give us is that they do not have enough inspectors, but the people are the eyes and do not even listen to us ", she said ..
She recalled that concessions are granted for agricultural use and not for the expansion of gardens or buildings, as is the case at other points as in Riberas del Pilar, another focus on invasions to the federal area.
After the mesh takedown, which they called as a ′′ great achievement ′′ for the people, protesters removed from the scene, but took stock back on August 12, around 6:30 pm.
During the second day of work at the same point, cyclonic meshes of two other concessions were shot down and barbed wire from a fence, with the participation of more citizens, some of them with tools.
Even where the stone wall was built was a backhoe machine that, saying to some of the protesters, ′′ people said they had hired them to tear everything down and clean up, that's what they told us ".
The actions of Ajijic neighbors do not end here, as in the coming days they will file a complaint with CONAGUA and another with the Federal Environmental Protection Office (PROFEPA), so that they ′′ really ′′ take matters into account.
And not only that, but they will also hold a demonstration in the offices of both federal units, ′′ because it's a situation that can no longer be tolerated, we need a basic solution ", a young protester said.
They emphasized that they will go to PROFEPA and CONAGUA, because the municipal authorities have stayed out of the situation, with the argument that it is a subject that does not belong to them, but ′′ they are permissible in many things ".
🔴 || El pueblo se manifiesta: Liberan zonas federales en Ajijic
Por Redacción
En un hecho sin precedentes, habitantes de #Ajijic derribaron mallas ciclónicas instaladas en la zona federal del #LagoDeChapala en protesta, porque no han recibido respuesta de las autoridades federales a sus múltiples denuncias de invasión de terrenos en la ribera.
Fue el pasado 10 de agosto, cerca de las 7 de la tarde, cuando alrededor de 30 personas arribaron a una extensa zona federal, a la que se llega por la calle Tío Domingo, al poniente de Ajijic, donde había dos fracciones de terreno circuladas con malla ciclónica.
Días antes, en las redes sociales, se denunció que en una de esas dos fracciones estaba en proceso la construcción de un muro de piedra, lo cual es ilegal, ya que los concesionarios tienen prohíbido construir en las zonas federales, a decir de los inconformes.
Cansados de no recibir respuesta de las autoridades, los manifestantes procedieron a tumbar las mallas “a jalones y pizotones”, para hacer entender a los concesionarios “que las zonas federales no les pertenecen, que son del pueblo y para el pueblo”, dijeron.
En cuestión de minutos, la adrenalina subió y derribaron la malla que rodeaba casi dos hectáreas frente a una propiedad de una reconocida familia de Guadalajara, y lo mismo sucedió con la malla de la otra zona en donde se construía el muro de piedra.
Una mujer, quien pidió el anonimato por temor a represalias, dijo que el problema de las invasiones radica en que no hay vigilancia ni acciones concretas por parte de la Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA), a quien le compete resolver este asunto.
“Autorizan concesiones, pero nunca supervisan y con este problema tenemos años, muchos años, denuncias y denuncias, y la respuesta que nos dan es que no tienen suficientes inspectores, pero el pueblo somos los ojos y ni así nos hacen caso”, indicó.
Recordó que las concesiones se otorgan para uso agrícola y no para la ampliación de jardines ni construcciones, como sucede en otros puntos como en Riberas del Pilar, otro foco rojo en cuanto a invasiones a la zona federal.
Después del derribo de las mallas, lo cual calificaron como un “un gran logro” para el pueblo, los manifestantes se retiraron del lugar, pero retomaron las acciones el pasado 12 de agosto, alrededor de las 6:30 de la tarde.
Durante el segundo día de trabajos en el mismo punto, se derribaron las mallas ciclónicas de otras dos concesiones y se cortaron los alambres de púas de una cerca, con la participación de más ciudadanos, algunos de ellos con herramienta.
Incluso, en donde se construía el muro de piedra estaba una máquina retroexcavadora que, a decir de algunos de los manifestantes, “las personas dijeron que los habían contratado para derribar todo y limpiar, eso fue lo que nos dijeron”.
Las acciones de los vecinos de Ajijic no terminan aquí, pues en los próximos días presentarán una denuncia ante la CONAGUA y otra en la Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (PROFEPA), para que “realmente” tomen cartas en el asunto.
Y no solo eso, sino que también realizarán una manifestación en las oficinas de ambas dependencias federales, “porque es una situación que ya no se puede tolerar, necesitamos una solución de fondo”, dijo una joven manifestante.
Enfatizaron que acudirán ante la PROFEPA y CONAGUA, debido a que las autoridades municipales se han mantenido al margen de la situación, con el argumento de que es un tema que no les corresponde, pero “son permisibles en muchas cosas”.
 
 
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The rich families build walls and fill in the land, .. when one of our neighbor did that, a well off Mexican man went crazzy and went to Chapala to complain and was told they did not have the means to monitor that kind of thing. They put a stop order on the work and the other owner told his people to be back at work on MOnday and it is exactly what happen and Chapal never did anything about it. Twenty years ao you could walk all over the place whe the water lever was very low and the people who had the means started buildin and building on the Federal zone ans still do. They do it right up to the water level and now you cannot even walk along those walls.  It is pretty bad.

In those days the Federal Agencies told out neighbor it was up to CHapal to enforce the rules.. I think the enforcement comes down to closing the work on Saturday, get the money on Sunday and work continues on MOnday, that is what has been happening for a long time. Good luck on changing it. Money talks.

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Sadly @bmh is correct.  Same with other aspects--I often see and hear chainsaws removing trees at construction sites on Sundays.  Assuming the owners do this rather than get permits from the Municipio.  

As far as the original story, here's an article from yesterdays Seminario Laguna's FB page, 

🌐 #Ecología | El muro que se encontraba en una de las primeras propiedades que fueron intervenidas por varios ajijitecos -para retirar el enmallado de territorio federal-, está en proceso de ser retirado voluntariamente por los propietarios del domicilio.
🌐 #Ecology | The wall that was in one of the first properties that were intervened by several Ajijitecos-to withdraw the proposed federal territory-is in the process of being voluntarily removed by the owners of the home.
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All you have to do is view Google Maps of the lake shoreline. Where there are rectangular outcroppings into the shoreline, it is painfully obvious how much natural shoreline has been stolen. 90 degree angles do not exist in nature only man made.. 

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I'm pretty sure that the Tecolutas soccer field on the west side of Ajijic is built on federal land which was filled in to make the municipal field.  Also pretty sure some additions to the malecons in the area were built in spite of federal encroachments.  I'm thinking of the "restaurant" on the Ajijic pier, the bridge and Jesus statue in Chapala, and almost all of the Joco malecon.  So if municipalities allow those things why should they get too worked up over some rich guy wanting to do the same if there is bribe money to be made?  There are MANY homes, on the west side especially, that have expanded, filled, and built out on to the shore of the lake.  By federal statute all waterways and shorelines, as determined by high tide or full lines, are the property of the Mexican public.  No hotel can declare a beach in front of their property to be private.  No private development can prohibit passage onto their grounds if that is the only access to the beach.  But rich folks are more important than average folks so they act with impunity in most cases.  I don't see much difference here in Mexico than what happens around the world.  Money talks and the rest of us whine helplessly.

You could be talking about forests in Brazil being removed for private exploitation, pipelines across sacred Native American lands, tourist hotels built on world heritage sites in Peru, wetlands being filled in for golf courses in the southern US, or scarce water resources used to fill swimming pools or grow almonds in California.  There are many examples of corruption for the benefit of the few to the detriment of the many.  It has always been that way and, as the world heads to a tipping point, it doesn't seem to be slowing down.  Alan

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1 hour ago, barrbower said:

I'm pretty sure that the Tecolutas soccer field on the west side of Ajijic is built on federal land which was filled in to make the municipal field.  Also pretty sure some additions to the malecons in the area were built in spite of federal encroachments.  I'm thinking of the "restaurant" on the Ajijic pier, the bridge and Jesus statue in Chapala, and almost all of the Joco malecon.  So if municipalities allow those things why should they get too worked up over some rich guy wanting to do the same if there is bribe money to be made?  There are MANY homes, on the west side especially, that have expanded, filled, and built out on to the shore of the lake.  By federal statute all waterways and shorelines, as determined by high tide or full lines, are the property of the Mexican public.  No hotel can declare a beach in front of their property to be private.  No private development can prohibit passage onto their grounds if that is the only access to the beach.  But rich folks are more important than average folks so they act with impunity in most cases.  I don't see much difference here in Mexico than what happens around the world.  Money talks and the rest of us whine helplessly.

You could be talking about forests in Brazil being removed for private exploitation, pipelines across sacred Native American lands, tourist hotels built on world heritage sites in Peru, wetlands being filled in for golf courses in the southern US, or scarce water resources used to fill swimming pools or grow almonds in California.  There are many examples of corruption for the benefit of the few to the detriment of the many.  It has always been that way and, as the world heads to a tipping point, it doesn't seem to be slowing down.  Alan

All very true but it's refreshing when a bunch of people with not as much money stick it to the man -in this case physically. And no,I ain't an SJW.

 

pedro kertesz

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“Also pretty sure some additions to the malecons in the area were built in spite of federal encroachments.  I'm thinking of the "restaurant" on the Ajijic pier, the bridge and Jesus statue in Chapala, and almost all of the Joco malecon.  So if municipalities allow those things why should they get too worked up over some rich guywanting to do the same if there is bribe money to be made?”

Those are public use projects and open to all.  

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16 minutes ago, Stephen White said:

“Also pretty sure some additions to the malecons in the area were built in spite of federal encroachments.  I'm thinking of the "restaurant" on the Ajijic pier, the bridge and Jesus statue in Chapala, and almost all of the Joco malecon.  So if municipalities allow those things why should they get too worked up over some rich guywanting to do the same if there is bribe money to be made?”

Those are public use projects and open to all.  

And they had permission from the feds. There actually was a problem for a short time when the work was paused in Chapala because they made changes to the design and had to get the permit modified. 

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I have seen the same with federal land on the coast in many places. Some of the large hotels take over the federal zone on their beach side and there are no repercussions. Money talks. They also restrict access to the beach which is illegal. I owned ocean front land but I got the concession from my property right up to the federal zone "gift from the sea" legally.

Tenacatita on the Jalisco coast was a major scandal a few years ago. A beautiful long beach that attracted palapa restaurants.. Then some rich guy claimed the property and had a fence put up, smashed the palapa restaurants down and kicked the locals out. He even had armed guards to keep the public out. Eventually the rich guy lost out. He should have gone to jail

https://www.playasmexico.com.mx/jalisco/tenacatita/

 

 

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the building on the Ajijic pier brought much angst to the local residents. The rich man's answer was that the building was put together with screws and not nales so therefore NOT a permanent structure. It is good to be rich and have rich friends. 

The municipality has shown fear of the voters by not issuing business licenses at that location, lately.

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20 hours ago, happyjillin said:

All very true but it's refreshing when a bunch of people with not as much money stick it to the man -in this case physically. And no,I ain't an SJW.

 

peter kertesz

It is refreshing

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  • 5 weeks later...

Story from local paper Pagina on Sept. 16, 2021 reporting that the incoming Presidente de Chapala is planning to exert some control over federal areas, which is what was done in PV. 

PÁGINA Que sí se lee
#Comunidad 
🔴 || Anuncia Alejandro Aguirre que intervendrá en el tema de invasión de las zonas federales
Por Gilberto Padilla García
Cuando entre en funciones como presidente municipal de #Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel dijo que intervendrá en el tema de las invasiones en zonas federales del Lago de Chapala, a fin de encontrar una solución a la problemática.
Al ser un asunto que preocupa a un grupo de habitantes de #Ajijic, quienes retiraron cercas y mallas de algunos terrenos federales, al poniente de dicha delegación, Aguirre Curiel dijo que no desconoce la problemática y por eso tomará cartas en el asunto.
“Yo, igual que ellos, estoy muy molesto por todo lo que está pasando en las zonas federales. Creo que debemos tomar acciones, pero dentro del marco legal, para que ellos también no puedan caer en una responsabilidad, en un problema legal”.
“Me queda claro que todos los gobiernos municipales no hacen nada por las zonas federales y es por eso la molestia, la desesperación de las personas, pero en el próximo gobierno vamos a tomar cartas, vamos a cuidar las zonas federales”.
En entrevista, Aguirre Curiel dijo que se retomaría la propuesta de firmar un convenio con la Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA) para que el municipio tenga la administración y custodia de las zonas federales, aunque también existe otra alternativa.
Esa alternativa tiene que ver con Puerto Vallarta, donde dicho municipio encontró un instrumento jurídico que le permitió tener el manejo de las zonas federales, incluso, realizar el cobro por el uso de las mismas, por lo que se busca replicarlo en Chapala.
“Estamos trabajando en eso, si lo logramos, eso sería un ingreso importante para el municipio, pero es un proyecto hasta ahorita”, aclaró el también regidor del PAN con licencia, sin ofrecer más detalles acerca de la propuesta.
La problemática de las zonas federales, en donde los concesionarios han construido de manera indebida en los terrenos del vaso lacustre, no es desconocida para Aguirre Curiel, quien gobernó Chapala por primera vez en el periodo 2001-2003. 
A finales del 2003, el también empresario encabezó una campaña de retiro de postes, cercas y alambrados que habían sido alcanzados por el Lago de Chapala en su recuperación y que representaban un riesgo para las embarcaciones.
Esta campaña se realizó en coordinación con la Capitanía de Puerto y la CONAGUA, a quien le compete directamente la supervisión de las zonas federales concesionadas y el retiro de las construcciones que están fuera de la ley.
#Comunidad 
🔴 || Announces Alejandro Aguirre that he will intervene in the issue of invasion of federal areas
By Gilberto Padilla García
When he comes into office as the municipal president of #Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel said he will intervene on the issue of invasions in federal areas of Lake Chapala, in order to find a solution to the problem.
Being a matter of concern to a group of inhabitants of #Ajijic, who removed fences and meshes from some federal grounds, to the speaker of that delegation, Aguirre Curiel said that he does not ignore the problem and therefore will take matters into account.
′′ I, like them, am very upset about everything going on in federal areas. I think we need to take actions, but within the legal framework, so that they too can not fall into responsibility, into a legal problem ".
′′ It's clear to me that all municipal governments do nothing for federal areas and that's why the annoyance, despair of people, but in the next government we're going to take care of federal areas ".
In interview, Aguirre Curiel said that the proposal to sign a convention with the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) would be resumed for the municipality to have administration and custody of federal areas, but there is also another alternative.
This alternative has to do with Puerto Vallarta, where the municipality found a legal instrument that allowed it to have the management of federal areas, even to make the charge for their use, so it is sought to replicate it in Chapala.
′′ We're working on that, if we succeeded, that would be an important income for the municipality, but it's a project so far ", clarified the licensed PAN's also Councillor, without more details about the proposal.
The troublesome of federal areas, where dealerships have unduly constructed on the grounds of the lacustre glass, is not unknown to Aguirre Curiel, who ruled Chapala for the first time in the period 2001-2003.
In late 2003, the entrepreneur also spearheaded a campaign to retire posts, fences and wire that had been hit by Lake Chapala in recovery and posed a risk to boats.
This campaign was conducted in coordination with Port Captaincy and CONAGUA, which is directly responsible for oversight of federal concession areas and the withdrawal of outlawed buildings.

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