The Battle for Mexico’s Water Is a Warning to the World

Why Mexico’s rural protests are about dismantling one of the most powerful —and least understood— economic coalitions in the country.

For the past three days, Mexico’s highways have been in chaos. Groups of farmers and transport workers have blocked at least 30 strategic points across 17 states.

At first glance, protests looked almost ordinary: tractors clogging the roads, farmers waving signs, rural leaders telling the cameras they were simply defending their livelihoods. France sees this every other season. India saw millions do it in 2021.

But the Mexican version is different, and the difference tells us something urgent about the future not just of Mexico, but of any country where climate politics is beginning to reshape old power structures.