By Abbas Nazil
Communities in Mexico have raosed alarm over a new natural gas pipeline from the United States, warning that it threatens their livelihoods and the country’s climate goals.
Fisherman Mauricio Contreras, who has worked in the Gulf of Mexico for over 40 years, expressed concern that the underwater Southeast Gateway pipeline poses ongoing risks to the fishing industry, including potential leaks that could harm marine life.
The pipeline, built by Canadian company TC Energy in partnership with Mexico’s state-owned CFE, stretches 700 kilometers from southern Texas to Tabasco state, supplying gas to the Dos Bocas refinery and ultimately aimed at delivering gas to the Yucatan Peninsula.
Southeast Gateway is part of a larger strategy for Mexico to increase imports of U.S. gas for domestic use and eventual re-export to Asia and Europe, a move opposed by environmental groups and local communities for increasing fossil fuel dependence and jeopardizing climate commitments.
In Veracruz, where more than 40,000 people depend on fishing, residents including Contreras and Indigenous communities allege they were not consulted prior to construction, as required by the Mexican Constitution, and have filed lawsuits challenging the project, currently under appeal.
Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, warn that dredging for the pipeline could damage deepwater reefs and disrupt critical ecosystems, affecting species such as green and olive ridley sea turtles, while methane leaks could exacerbate climate impacts.
TC Energy maintains that the pipeline met federal requirements, preserved ecosystems, and created 4,000 jobs during construction, emphasizing its role in bringing gas to one of Mexico’s poorest regions.
Mexico’s push for U.S. gas dates to 2013 reforms aimed at reducing reliance on more polluting fuels, but critics say the country’s heavy reliance on imported gas undermines energy sovereignty and makes it vulnerable to U.S. influence.
The Mexican government plans additional pipelines and liquefaction plants to export gas, prompting concerns that emissions from these projects could prevent Mexico from achieving its carbon reduction targets of 31–37 percent by 2035 and hinder the goal of generating 45 percent of electricity from renewables by 2030.
Community activists continue to demand respect for Indigenous rights and local autonomy, insisting that megaprojects should not be imposed without meaningful consultation and consideration of environmental and social impacts.
The outcome of ongoing legal challenges and community resistance could shape the future of Mexico’s energy strategy, its climate commitments, and the livelihoods of coastal populations dependent on fisheries.
If fully implemented, the expansion of natural gas infrastructure could cement Mexico’s dependence on U.S. imports while creating tensions between economic development, environmental protection, and Indigenous rights.