Mining Frontiers and Policy in Mexico: Deepening Extractivism, Environmental Pressures, and Mining Conflicts
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9307-6685
Abstract / Resumen / Resumo
This article analyzes the recent expansion of mining frontiers in Mexico by presenting a nation- al-scale cartography of concessions, projects, and operating mines updated through 2024 and comparing it with earlier baselines. It characterizes extraction methods and the increasing predominance of open-pit mining; conducts a comparative analysis of corporate ownership to assess changes in the participation of Canadian and Mexican firms in metal extraction; and evaluates spatial overlaps between mining footprints, groundwater and surface water scarcity, and conservation areas. The study documents a sharp rise in socioenvironmental conflicts over the past decade, with 372 cases recorded in 2024. The evidence points to a fourth mining fron- tier, driven by adjacent intensification at the margins of existing districts rather than by entry into new territories. This pattern deepens extractivism, amplifies cumulative environmental pressures, and aligns with the observed escalation of conflict.
Recommended Citation
Jimenez, Sol Perez PhD
(2024)
"Mining Frontiers and Policy in Mexico: Deepening Extractivism, Environmental Pressures, and Mining Conflicts,"
Journal of Latin American Geography
24(3): 57-88.
DOI: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/15/article/977599
Available at:
https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/15/article/977599
