Bipartisan group of South Texas lawmakers accuse Mexico of violating Water Treaty

A bipartisan group of 11 South Texas state lawmakers this week sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in which they accused the Mexican government of failing to provide the Rio Grande Valley with water as required under the 1944 Water Treaty.

The letter is the latest attempt to get Mexico to abide by the seven-decade-old agreement, which requires the country to deliver 350,000 acre-feet of water annually every five years. Disputes over the treaty date back years, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, made a 2023 request for Blinken to intervene.

Mexico has so far failed to deliver nearly 775,000 acre-feet of water owed under its current cycle, according to Texas Public Radio.

The dispute between Texas and its southern neighbor comes at a time when ever-climbing temperatures threaten water supplies around the globe.

“The scarcity of water in our region has far-reaching implications for agriculture, ecosystems and communities on both sides of the border,” the lawmakers’ letter states. “We recognize the importance of maintaining diplomatic relations and upholding international agreements. It is equally crucial, however, that we honor our commitments to our neighbors and ensure the sustainable use of shared resources.”

The letter blames Mexico’s failure to abide by the agreement for the closure of the Rio Grande Valley Sugars Growers Inc. sugar mill, which was shuttered in February. The closure, prompted by the facility’s lack of access to water, left more than 500 Valley residents without jobs, Texas Public Radio reported.

The letter also comes a little over a month after Texas Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, whose district snakes from San Antonio’s far East Side to McAllen, introduced bipartisan legislation ordering Blinken to “leverage the full spectrum of U.S. diplomatic tools” to force Mexico to comply.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Related Stories

How Hearst’s ‘Weather Wonks’ invisibilize climate crisis

Hearst Newspapers’ ‘science-informed’ weather reporting initiative promised to help keep readers safe, but the ‘Texas Weather Wonks’ have entirely ignored the primary driver of recent extreme heat — human fossil-fueled industry.

Texas firefighters battling massive Panhandle wildfires, including second largest in state’s history

The five fires have burned 575,000 acres, which is larger than Houston, as residents have fled or sheltered in place.

Abbott’s border standoff fueled by a climate crisis he helped create

Record levels of forced migration are tied to an environmental collapse that Republicans worsened on behalf of the fossil fuel industry.

Texas faces dangerously low water supplies as experts brace for another hot summer

Scientists say another hot, dry year would drain Texas reservoirs to historic lows and prompt emergency steps, Inside Climate News reports.

99 Cents Only closing all 371 locations, including Texas stores, after 40 years

The shutdown includes at least five San Antonio stores.

South Texas judge declares disaster due to water shortage – and it’s not even summer yet

Hidalgo County’s emergency declaration comes days after state lawmakers accused Mexico of failing to abide by the 1944 Water Treaty.

Water scarcity and clean energy collide in South Texas

A high-tech chemical company has purchased the last available water in the Nueces River to make hydrogen and ammonia for export.

Texas delegation urges Congress to withhold aid to Mexico over water treaty dispute

A bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers are demanding appropriators withhold funds for the country until Mexico lives up to its end of a 1944 water treaty that requires it to send 1.75 million acre-feet to the U.S. every five years.

This article appears in Apr 3-16, 2024.