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Mexico’s New Water Law Faces Legal Challenge as Border Blockades Persist

Conagua now has 180 days to set rules that will define how the ban on private transfers and the expedited reassignment of water rights are applied.

Overview

  • Congress approved the Ley General de Aguas and revisions to the Ley de Aguas Nacionales and sent the package to the executive for publication.
  • The reform prohibits private sales or exchanges of concessions, consolidates regulation under the state, and pledges 20‑business‑day reassignment for heirs, property transfers and corporate restructurings.
  • National farm organizations declared a strategic pause in most protests after talks with the interior ministry, but growers kept blocking the Mexicali–Calexico crossing pending meetings with the governor and Conagua.
  • Chihuahua’s state congress said it will file a constitutional controversy, arguing the law lacked prior consultation of indigenous peoples and infringes municipal control of water services.
  • Business groups in Ciudad Juárez reported about $1.45 billion in stalled exports and tens of thousands of delayed truckloads from multi‑day border closures.