The lower house declares war on predators
The plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies approved reforming the Federal Penal Code. The objective is clear: to punish illegal logging, changes in the use of forest land, and contamination of rivers and subsoil with jail time and heavy fines. The minute has already traveled to the Senate.
With 450 votes in favor, legislators modified article 418. Now, clearing or destroying forest vegetation without permission can cost you one to nine years in prison. In addition, you must pay a fine equivalent to one thousand or up to five thousand days of minimum wage.
The new rules of the ecological game
But they don’t stop there. Illegally cutting or felling trees will have a sentence of two to ten years. The same for anyone who invades or changes the use of land on forest lands.
“When the conduct… is carried out using firearms or by any other violent means… to obtain profit… it will be increased by up to 15 years in prison and up to eight thousand days of fine,” says the text.
If the damage occurs in a Protected Natural Area, the penalty increases to 20 years and up to ten thousand days of fine.
Pollution also has its specific punishment. Discharging sewage, chemicals or waste into federal soils, rivers or seas will be punishable by two to ten years in prison and fines ranging from 687 to almost seven thousand days of salary.
The voice from the stands: what about Pemex?
Representative Eva María Vázquez (PAN) celebrated the reform, but launched a direct blow.
“I think this reform is excellent… it seems fair to punish those who lie in environmental reports,” he said. And then he asked: “How many years do those responsible for Pemex have for the spills? How many years for the leaks that are minimized?”
Isidra de la luz Rivas (PT) stressed that fines be calculated in days of salary. He argued that environmental crimes are not simple infractions, but attacks on collective assets of very high value.
María Luisa Mendoza (PVEM) put numbers on the table: every year Mexico loses more than 150 thousand hectares due to illegal logging. 90% of wastewater is discharged without adequate treatment and 70% of rivers are contaminated.
Reform is on the table. Now it’s time to see if the Senate buys the entire lawsuit against those who destroy our environment.
