Guadalupe Valley draws the line at an amphitheater

On October 8 more than 300 neighbors held a demonstration against the construction of an amphitheater for massive events in the wine tourist area of Valle de Guadalupe. The Facebook group Por un Valle de Verdad [for a valley of truth], which was a platform used by neighbors to get united on the matters of the valley, was the way neighbors spread the word.

One of its members, architect Axel de la Torre, said that the organization of the community that has been living in the valley for years happened naturally without any leaders. “Actually, everything happened so fast and naturally."

According to him, they didn’t realize the whole picture until the heavy machinery started cutting down the native vegetation, and the event company began to make light and sound checks. Eventually they knew that a national pop artist would be giving a massive presentation right in front of their neighborhood."

“Bring farmers, not contractors” could be read on their signs. For Axel and some other locals, the valley is losing its character because of new constructions in the valley that has nothing to do with the wine industry.

“This is about the way of seeing this, the long term one; people that live here want this land and want their kids and grandkids doing what they taught them. There are families of three generations making wine.

“The other short-term interests are investments that take advantage of the success of this tourist destination. But when they leave to go somewhere else they will leave us a ghost town.”

The say after the demonstration, the federal secretary of environment and natural resources visited the parcel of land and found 25 hectares of native vegetation de-forested. That led to the seizure of heavy machinery and a shut-down of the construction.

Despite support from neighbors and tourists, Axel said that there are people that are trying to make them seem as if they were against the “progress.”

“With long-term projects, we can produce more economical growth; instead we are just promoting the valley’s destruction. Sadly in Mexico, we have a long history of the destruction of our natural paradises.

The federal government is currently pushing with locals and the state government the development of ecological zoning in the area.