Agua Fría Community

The Agua Fría community, located in the Los Azufres region of the state of Michoacán, was founded in the 1940s. A group of residents from the region gathered to build a community and protect the environment; today, it is home to approximately 180 people. The territory they inhabit is of high environmental value, characterised by a high biodiversity, the presence of endemic species, and a strategic forest ecosystems with diverse water sources. For over four decades, its members have assumed collective responsibility as co-owners and defenders of the territory, orienting their community life toward the defence of the forest, water, and the preservation of the area’s ecological balance.

The community’s commitment to safeguarding the territory has been vital for the survival of both the forest and the community, particularly through environmental protection, the collective and sustainable management of resources, and the protection of the forest from illegal activities such as logging.

Since 1983, the Agua Fría community has been facing various land grabbing attempts by organised crime actors due to the territory’s wealth in resources. Organised crime seeks to exploit these resources while simultaneously disrupting the community’s social structure. These attempts have led to the destruction of homes, threats, criminalisation, falsified documents, and the deprivation of liberty of key community leaders such as Rolando Silva. Attacks by organised crime are aimed at breaking the community’s bond with the forest. Currently, the Agua Fría community faces various threats from armed groups that seek to control the territory. Despite these threats, the community continues to resist and remains committed to the collective defense of human rights and the environment.