Topolobampo Ammonia Plant Protests Rise in Sinaloa

Activists Set Up Round-the-Clock Camp in Topolobampo

Community members from the long-standing "Aquí No" movement have established a permanent protest camp near an access gate at the Topolobampo Port. They are determined to stop additional equipment from reaching the construction site of the ammonia plant on Ohuira Bay.

Fishermen and Yoreme residents take turns staying at the encampment, watching every movement at the port. The action comes as massive industrial components arrive, marking what many see as one of the final chances to halt the project before operations begin.

Massive Ammonia Plant Nears Completion Despite Opposition

Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente, part of the Switzerland-based Proman Group, is building the facility. It is designed to produce 2,200 tonnes of anhydrous ammonia daily and store 75,000 tonnes on site, making it one of the largest such plants in Latin America.

Industry reports indicated construction stood at roughly 88 percent complete in May. Company statements note that production is not expected to start until 2027, giving residents time to continue their organized resistance.

Risks to Indigenous Yoreme Communities and the Bay Ecosystem

The plant's own environmental risk study warned that a pipeline rupture could release a toxic cloud reaching 45 kilometers in diameter. Such an event would threaten more than 400,000 people living around Ohuira Bay, including many Yoreme families whose homes and livelihoods sit directly in the path.

Ohuira Bay belongs to the Santa María-Topolobampo-Ohuira lagoon system, recognized as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. The area supports mangroves, migratory birds, sea turtles, and a shrimp industry that sustains around 4,000 fishing families across generations.

International Campaign "Whales or Gas" Gains Momentum

The local protest forms part of the broader "Whales or Gas" coalition involving more than 40 organizations. The network opposes the rapid industrialization of the Gulf of California through LNG terminals, pipelines, and petrochemical facilities that endanger marine life and coastal communities.

Yoreme leader Melina Maldonado recently traveled to Berlin to speak directly with German parliamentarians and representatives of KfW, the state-owned bank financing part of the project. She told them plainly that no ammonia would be allowed to flow and that their investment faced real risk.

Flotilla Protest on Día de la Marina Unites Residents

On Sunday, as Topolobampo celebrated Día de la Marina, fishermen and neighbors took to the water in a flotilla of decorated boats. Banners reading "Aquí No" flew alongside Yoreme flags, turning the official maritime holiday into a powerful community statement.

The queen of the celebration, Zaira Dávalos, daughter of a fourth-generation fishing family, left the official vessel and joined a fishing skiff carrying an "Aquí No" banner. Her action underscored how deeply the bay's health is tied to local identity and daily life.

Voices from the Community: Fear for Future Generations

Melina Maldonado described the current moment as a peak in the movement. She noted that many residents who once felt distant from the issue now see the giant reactors arriving and feel genuine fear for their children's safety.

Diver and tour operator Sinhue Peña, who has worked in Topolobampo's waters for more than a decade, explained that everything begins in the mangroves. Any damage there ripples outward to affect the entire marine nursery and the families who depend on it.

The encampment continues indefinitely. Protesters remain alert, ready to respond to any attempt to move remaining equipment, while ordinary families across Sinaloa watch closely, hoping their voices will protect the bay that has sustained them for generations.

Tags: Topolobampo ammonia plant, Ohuira Bay protests, Sinaloa environmental justice, Yoreme communities, Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente, Whales or Gas campaign, Día de la Marina flotilla, Ramsar wetland Mexico

By Rosa Martinez, Staff Writer