Manzanillo (Mexico) (AFP) – Fishermen and environmentalists have been protesting since Saturday against the expansion of Mexico's main commercial port, due to the environmental damage that protesters say the works will cause in an important wetland.
First modification: 11/09/2026 - 17:01
The port of Manzanillo, on the Pacific, is the one that receives the most containers in Mexico and is key for trade with Asia. Chemical precursors for the production of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl also arrive clandestinely.
In that place, fishermen mobilized in boats on Saturday to prevent mud and sediment removal work carried out by the Secretary of the Navy. Towards Sunday afternoon, they kept access to a canal in the area blocked.
The Navy assures that the works correspond to the regular maintenance of the port and not its expansion.
Some of those who oppose are dedicated to fishing, agriculture and artisanal salt production, activities that will be affected by the work, according to their complaints.
"They are going to raise sediments from many years, heavy metals and other materials," María del Carmen Velasco, representative of a fishing cooperative, explained to AFP.
In the capital of the state of Colima, where Manzanillo is located, dozens of people marched with slogans such as "Our lives are worth more than your profits."
Protesters claim that the expansion of the port will damage the Cuyutlán lagoon, the largest mangrove forest in the Mexican central Pacific.
Mangroves are important carbon dioxide capturers and act as a natural barrier against cyclones.
The Mexican government seeks to triple the port's capacity to receive containers by increasing the size of the facility from 450 to more than 1,880 hectares.
© 2026 AFP
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