Eco-Political Conflict and Communal Environmentalism in the Struggle of Atenco Against the Construction of a New International Airport in Mexico City

Abstract

This essay explores, from an eco-political perspective, the popular mobilization led by peasants in the municipality of Atenco against Mexico City’s new international airport. It provides a case study of the dramatic worldwide changes brought about by the construction of mega-infrastructure, the intimate link between peasant communities’ social and cultural values, the lake and agricultural land put at risk by the airport construction project, and the subsequent struggle in defense of the lake and land affected by this project. Finally, it narrates the experience of the #YoPrefieroElLago (Hashtag I prefer the lake) campaign, which, amidst the presidential transition in Mexico, resulted in the airport’s cancellation, a victory for the People’s Front in Defense of Land.