CIUDAD JUÁREZ, MEXICO – Hundreds of Mexican farmworkers and truck drivers initiated a blockade on the Mexican side of the vital Zaragoza-Ysleta International Bridge on Monday, 24 November 2025, escalating a nationwide strike against controversial water law reforms. The protest has effectively halted traffic at the crossing connecting Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, with El Paso, Texas, a key channel for US-Mexico trade.

The demonstrations, which have spread to 16 states across Mexico, are a direct response to President Claudia Sheinbaum's proposed amendments to the General Water Law. The reforms, announced in September 2025, seek to prohibit the sale or transfer of water concession titles between private parties, reinforcing state control over what the government now deems a strategic national resource rather than a tradable commodity. The government argues these changes are necessary to tackle irregularities, guarantee the human right to water, and reclaim billions of cubic meters of water from improper private control.

However, agricultural producers fear the reforms will dispossess them of essential water rights. "We don't want them (the government) to monopolize the water and do whatever they want with the permits," Gerardo Fierro, a farmer at the protest, told reporters on Monday. Javier Jurado, president of an agricultural business, accused the Sheinbaum administration of attempting to "hijack" the water, leaving farmers "defenseless." Protesters argue the new regulations would permit the government to withdraw concession titles arbitrarily, deepening the crisis in an already struggling agricultural sector. In addition to the bridge blockade, agricultural workers also stormed federal customs offices in Ciudad Juárez.

Economic and Political Implications

The Zaragoza-Ysleta bridge is a critical artery for international commerce, and prolonged disruption could have significant economic consequences. The protest underscores a deepening political divide over resource management in Mexico. The government maintains the reforms are essential for national security and equitable water distribution, particularly in the face of severe droughts and water shortages that have plagued the country. Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez suggested the protests might be politically motivated, stating at a press conference in Mexico City that "there is no motive for the protests...unless they are politically motivated."

This is not the first major conflict over water in northern Mexico. In 2020, farmers in the state of Chihuahua clashed violently with the National Guard over the government's decision to release water from dams to pay a water debt to the United States under a 1944 treaty. That dispute, which resulted in at least one fatality, highlighted the extreme pressures on water resources in the drought-stricken region.

Global Context and Kenyan Relevance

While the events in Mexico are geographically distant, the core issues of water rights, agricultural sustainability, and government resource management resonate globally, including in Kenya and East Africa. Disputes over shared resources, the balance between state control and private rights, and the impact of climate change on agricultural communities are critical themes in the region.

The Mexican farmers' struggle against perceived government overreach in water management offers a case study in the complexities of balancing national policy with the livelihoods of rural populations. As Kenya continues to develop its own natural resource governance frameworks, particularly concerning water access and land use, the situation in Mexico provides valuable insights into potential conflict points and the importance of stakeholder engagement. The disruption to a major international trade route also serves as a reminder of how localized resource disputes can have broader economic ripple effects, a pertinent lesson for East Africa's increasingly integrated economies.

The protesters have vowed to remain until the federal government agrees to a formal dialogue to review the policies they claim are putting national agricultural production at risk. The situation at the border remains tense, with the potential for significant economic and political fallout as the blockade continues. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.