The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, affirmed this Monday that the hydrocarbon spill registered in the Gulf of Mexico, which affected the coasts of Tabasco and Veracruz, was caused by a ship and not by the state-owned Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), and announced that the intervention of the Prosecutor's Office has been requested to determine responsibilities.
“Yes, there was a spill, as you know, from a ship. All investigations are still being carried out, and we also asked the Prosecutor's Office to be able to intervene, because finally there is a criminal offense in this case.”
The Mexican government had previously reported that the spill, detected two weeks ago, contaminated several kilometers of the coastline in the southeast of the country and that the authorities were maintaining monitoring activities to identify its origin.
In this regard, the Mexican head of state emphasized that although the responsible company has not yet been determined, Pemex is participating in the cleanup efforts.
“So it is not a Pemex spill, but Pemex is doing everything to clean up the ocean and the beaches. I asked the director of Pemex (Víctor Rodríguez) to go personally to see how the situation is and to see if more resources are needed to advance the cleanup further,” said Sheinbaum.
She also mentioned that there could have been a minor incident related to the state-owned Dos Bocas refinery, although she insisted that the main origin of the spill was a vessel.
“The main thing was a ship from a company that had that spill and that Pemex is helping to clean it up,” Sheinbaum pointed out.
Sheinbaum noted that agencies such as the Federal Prosecutor's Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the Agency for Security, Energy, and the Environment (ASEA) are participating in the investigation and response to the case.
Additionally, she indicated that the responsible company will have to repair the damage caused.
“There may be support, but the company must obviously repair the damage,” she stated.
Finally, she assured that her government will follow up on the case, including contacting fishermen and those affected in the area.
