Drought paralyzes northern states’ water deliveries to US: ‘No one is obligated to do the impossible’

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum connected Tuesday denied reports that Mexico had capitulated to U.S. demands for contiguous h2o deliveries required by a 1944 pact that allocates aboveground h2o on their shared border. One of the reports, published by the Mexican paper Reforma, stated that the Coahuila dam “La Amistad” had accrued its extractions by 600%. 

Calling the published reports “false,” Sheinbaum said her medication is negotiating with bluish states to nonstop much h2o to the U.S. portion recognizing that pervasive drought conditions person made it intolerable to support up with deliveries.

As an 80-year-old bilateral h2o pact becomes much and much hard to meet, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum indispensable question a equilibrium betwixt obligations and realities. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

“Talks are underway with the governors of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Chihuahua to scope a associated statement to find however overmuch h2o tin beryllium delivered … without affecting Mexican producers, portion besides complying with the 1944 treaty,” Sheinbaum said astatine her regular property conference.

Mexico has been searching for solutions aft falling down connected its required h2o deliveries, a concern that prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to endanger sanctions.

Trump took to societal media past Thursday, criticizing Mexico’s nonaccomplishment to conscionable pact obligations.

“Mexico OWES Texas 1.3 cardinal acre-feet of h2o nether the 1944 Water Treaty, but Mexico is unluckily violating their Treaty obligation, and it is hurting South Texas Farmers precise badly,” Trump wrote connected Truth Social, adding “… we volition support escalating consequences, including TARIFFS and, possibly adjacent SANCTIONS, until Mexico honors the Treaty, and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!”.

That aforesaid day, Sheinbaum said her authorities was moving to resoluteness the issue. On Friday, she said Mexico was assessing however overmuch h2o it could nonstop to its bluish neighbour “immediately.”

That prompted national and international media to study that Mexico was ceding to U.S. demands to debar tariffs, adjacent though Sheinbaum aboriginal said the magnitude of h2o Mexico could present depended connected precipitation levels during the upcoming rainy season.

Mexico hopes to scope an statement with the U.S. successful the “next fewer weeks” successful bid to debar the contented spilling into ongoing commercialized negotiations. Though 1 root cited by Reuters said “The expectations of the U.S. should beryllium grounded successful reality. [Mexico] cannot present h2o that does not exist.”

Last week, Mexico submitted a connection to the U.S. that emphasized deliveries would beryllium connected h2o availability. At the aforesaid time, the Sheinbaum medication is negotiating with bluish states reluctant to stock much of their scarce h2o supplies.

Officials from Chihuahua and Tamaulipas told Reuters their states cannot spare other h2o and questioned the legality of a caller pact amendment that gives the Mexican authorities greater authorization to instrumentality h2o from them.

“We can’t springiness h2o to the United States erstwhile we don’t adjacent person capable for our people,” said Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos successful a property conference. “No 1 is obligated to bash the impossible.”

Mario Mata, enforcement manager of Chihuahua’s h2o council, told the paper El Financiero that the authorities is considering ineligible enactment against the amendment. 

Most of Mexico’s bluish states are experiencing utmost oregon exceptional drought conditions, complicating efforts to fulfill the treaty. (Conagua)

The imaginable of standoffs betwixt bluish farmers and national authorities is not far-fetched. In 2020, a protestor was killed erstwhile Mexico’s National Guard clashed with farmers astatine Chihuahua’s Boquilla Dam implicit h2o deliveries to Texas.

Under the treaty, Mexico indispensable nonstop 1.75 cardinal acre-feet of h2o to the U.S. from the Rio Grande each 5 years. The existent five-year rhythm concludes successful October, but Mexico has sent little than 30% of the required water, according to information from the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Mexico has argued that a historical drought fueled by clime alteration is to blame, but Texas Republicans person dismissed that explanation, Reuters reported.

While Texas politicians publically accused Mexico of flagrantly ignoring the treaty, the U.S. took the unprecedented measurement of denying a Mexican petition to nonstop h2o from the Colorado River to Tijuana. It was the archetypal rejection by either broadside since the pact was signed implicit 80 years ago.

With reports from El Imparcial, Reuters, La Jornada, El Financiero and Infobae