In the midst of a severe drought in Mexico, subsistence farmers in the state of Michoacan are facing a dire situation as streams and lakes dry up due to the increased water demands of the country's lucrative export crops, particularly avocados. The once green and lush region is now grappling with disappearing water sources, leading to direct action by local farmers against commercial farms.
Activists and residents from the town of Villa Madero have taken matters into their own hands by dismantling illegal water pumps and breaching unlicensed irrigation ponds used by avocado growers. The conflict is escalating as subsistence farmers clash with large-scale agricultural operations, some of which are allegedly linked to drug cartels.
