Senators from the Green Party of Mexico presented a constitutional reform initiative to declare environmental crimes unprescribable.
According to their argument, they seek to stop impunity in crimes against the environment.
The objective, therefore, would be to ensure that those responsible for ecocides face justice, regardless of how much time has passed since the damages were committed.
They request declaring environmental crimes unprescribable
On behalf of the ecologist caucus, Senator Maki Ortiz Domínguez provided details about her proposal to amend the sixth paragraph of the constitutional article 4.
She proposes eliminating the current 12-year prescription period, recognizing that the effects of environmental crimes can manifest decades later. Therefore, limiting their prosecution represents, as she claimed, a serious omission by the State.
The legislator recalled the case of the toxic spill by Grupo México in the Sonora River, where nine years later pollution is still present in water, air, flora, and fauna. This demonstrates that environmental damages do not expire over time.
Mexico’s Numbers
According to data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, between 2012 and 2023, 15,749 environmental crimes were reported, concentrated in states such as Quintana Roo, Chiapas, and the State of Mexico.
On the other hand, the senator mentioned that the Federal Superior Auditor’s Office specified that more than 70% of the crimes go unreported, demonstrating an alarming dark figure and the urgent need to provide institutional support to citizens to protect their environment.
“Despite this data, many crimes remain unpunished due to lack of reports, legal gaps, and restrictive deadlines, leaving most cases unresolved,” Ortiz Domínguez warned.
Likewise, she pointed out that countries like Ecuador and Brazil already recognize the unprescribability of this type of crimes as a fundamental human right, unprescribable and intergenerational.
“This reform is a firm step towards real reparation of damages and the effective protection of environmental rights of present and future generations,” concluded the ecologist senator.
