The stain that cannot be erased
XALAPA, Ver.— More than a month after the explosion in an underwater pipeline in the Abkatún-Pol-Chuc complex, in the Campeche Sound, crude oil continues to reach the coasts. And it’s not a rumor: they are seeing it with their own eyes.
The Reef Corridor Network and Gulf coastal communities launched an alert that should set off all alarms. “The majority of the beaches affected by the spill in Veracruz, Tabasco and Tamaulipas still cannot be considered ‘clean,'” they denounced. In April, at least 81 beaches reported everything from stains to flakes of hydrocarbon mixed with sand.
“These reports indicate that hydrocarbon has probably remained on the bottom of the sea that is dragged to the beaches by currents and by climatic events known as ‘Nortes’,” the organizations accused.
The ecological drama: injured turtles, dolphins and mangroves
Citizen monitoring does not lie: so far 22 sea turtles, 4 dolphins, 2 pelicans, 1 manatee and a lot of lifeless fish have been recorded. And that is only what they have been able to tell. The mangroves are affected, the reefs are under threat. All this while Pemex minimizes the impacts.
The most outrageous thing is the inequality. NGOs denounce that attention prioritizes tourist and urban areas, leaving indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities—such as those in Pajapan or Barra de Tupilco—in oblivion. Remote beaches, fragile ecosystems… no one gets there with real solutions.
What do they ask for?
It’s not just cleaning the sand. They demand structural changes: regeneration of ecosystems, comprehensive attention to affected communities and a serious dialogue table. “The ecological, social and health impacts are being minimized,” they warn.
Meanwhile, the crude oil continues to arrive. And the bottom of the sea continues to bleed.
