On Wednesday morning, a shooting occurred against activist and territory defender Erik Saracho Aguilar in the community of San Francisco, San Pancho, in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas. His wife, Gabriela Loreto Gay, stated that this attack comes amid conflicts over real estate projects and disputes over land use in this coastal area of Nayarit. In an interview with Aristegui en Vivo, the activist recalled that Saracho was attacked in front of his home around 6:30 a.m. as he was returning after taking his daughter to school. «It was an armed attack in front of our house; fortunately, the bullets did not hit vital areas that are difficult to control, so we were able to stabilize the situation,» she recounted. She also stated that after the attack, the defender was taken to a local hospital, where he remains stable. Loreto Gay avoided pointing to direct perpetrators of the attack, although she maintained that the territorial defense work confronts economic interests in areas with strong real estate pressure. «You know that defending territory always steps on big toes, but it is very difficult to point to someone specifically without proof.» Saracho Aguilar is the coordinator of Alianza Jaguar, an organization focused on territorial defense, environmental conservation, and citizen oversight over urban development projects in the region. According to his wife, the activist has participated in community processes in the sierra and coastal communities of Nayarit for over three decades. «Erick has many years, more than 30, defending territory in communities, he is a person who knows what he is talking about, both legally and environmentally and socially,» she noted. Currently, one of the conflicts that has mobilized the residents of San Pancho is related to a real estate development called Ysuri, which residents have opposed, considering it could exceed permitted construction levels and impact basic services such as water, drainage, and mobility in the locality. At this moment, the town of San Francisco is trying to regulate this development named Ysuri; that is the strong struggle we have right now in San Pancho. The activist added that there is concern in the community about projects that, according to residents, do not always comply with urban or environmental norms. «There are many developers who want to come here to invest, outside the law, so there are always these counterpoints; we as a people who want to continue living well and all these developers who want to come invest their money,» she said. Following the attack, residents and activists held a demonstration in the Brotherhood Park to repudiate the aggression and demand clarification of the facts, Loreto Gay stated. She also emphasized that Saracho is often identified as one of the most visible voices in these struggles, although she assured that territorial defense in the community is a collective effort. «In reality in San Pancho we are many, it is not only him, of course they identify him because he has more experience, but we are many.» The activist also recalled previous conflicts with developers in the area and mentioned the case of a housing complex called Punta Paraíso, whose construction generated protests from residents who denounced the occupation of part of the beach, and mentioned that after activists questioned that project, a developer promoted legal actions that resulted in the blocking of accounts of five community defenders. «That same developer blocked the accounts of five major activists from San Pancho and since then they cannot speak of that topic,» she indicated. She stated that this episode occurred approximately seven years ago and since then, disputes between communities and developers have been repeated in various projects in the area. Regarding the attack on Saracho, Loreto Gay reported that authorities from the three levels of government have communicated with the family and that the Prosecutor's Office has initiated the corresponding investigations. Also, the activist stated that the real estate growth in tourist areas like Bahía de Banderas demands strict monitoring of law compliance to avoid conflicts with communities. «We do want development, but well-made, legal development.» Finally, she considered that if the authorities in charge of urban planning fully complied with their function, many of the disputes that residents face today would not have to be resolved from the community organization. «If urban planning acted well, we would not have to be fighting for our territory.»
