Environmental and civil groups, including Tlacuy and Greenpeace Mexico, are calling for the “March for the Sea” on April 5 in Veracruz to demand accountability for the ongoing Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon spill, challenging official claims of natural causes with satellite evidence of stains since February. The protest follows recent government announcements of cleaned beaches and containment efforts.
In response to the hydrocarbon spill affecting over 600 km of Gulf coastline, more than 30 civil society organizations—such as the Tlacuy collective, feminist group Rabia, Greenpeace Mexico, and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law—have organized the “March for the Sea” on April 5 in Veracruz port. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. along the coastal boulevard, culminating at 5:30 p.m. at the Malecón with artistic and protest activities. Organizers declare, “The Gulf of Mexico... cannot continue to be a zone of sacrifice.”
Key demands include comprehensive environmental remediation plans, independent scientific studies of contaminated water and affected species (including turtles, mangroves, coasts, and rivers in Veracruz and Tabasco), and a halt to hydrocarbon exploitation until damages are fully assessed.
This mobilization comes days after President Claudia Sheinbaum and officials from Semarnat, Semar, and Pemex reported on March 31 that the spill stems from natural chapopoteras in the Cantarell field, not a Pemex leak, with over 400 wells inspected, beaches cleaned, and aid provided to fishermen. However, activists cite satellite images showing stains originating February 6 off Campeche near a pipeline, with Pemex vessels attempting unpublicized containment, contradicting the official March 2 report and impacting 630 km of coastline by March 21.
