Residents of Topolobampo protest in front of Semarnat against ammonia megaplant

A representation of residents of Topolobampo, Sinaloa, who are against the ammonia megaplant of Grupo Proman, Gas y Petrochemical of the West (GPO), accompanied by activists, demonstrated yesterday outside the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), where they asked President Claudia Sheinbaum to go to this town to learn first-hand about the risks to the ecosystem and health of the citizens.

In the federal agency building, located on National Army Avenue, they placed banners with the slogans: “Not here!”, and “From Mexico City to Topolobampo the GPO ammonia plant will not pass.”

Armando Pinzón, fisherman and tourist service provider, explained the need for President Sheinbaum to go "and convince Topolobampo and the people at risk that this plant is good, but that they remove it if we convince her otherwise."

He recalled that outside the GPO facilities, they have been holding a sit-in for 100 days and “we are not going to remove it… our fight has been going on for 13 years.”

With the protest before Semarnat, the representation of Topolobampo residents concluded their day of struggle in Mexico City, which included a demonstration in the capital's Zócalo, where two Greenpeace climbers climbed the flagpole to place a banner with the message "President: protect Topolobampo."

The megaplant, the protesters warned, would have the capacity to produce 2,200 metric tons of ammonia per day, which represents a risk to the ecosystem, the health and lives of the inhabitants.

They pointed out that in the dialogue table they have held with the federal government, a remediation plan has been proposed, but it has been “unilateral” and does not respond to the needs.