HIDDEN, MOVED, FORGOTTEN: THE BUILDING OF THE DAM EL ZAPOTILLO EN JALISCO, MEXICO

Abstract

ABSTRACT Can a small village of 500 inhabitants resist the joint attacks of their country's government and those of several multinationals? This article will analyze the social emergency raised in Temacapulín, a small town in Jalisco, Mexico, against the government's desire to build a mega dam to bring water to remote cities, which would mean the disappearance of the village and the displacement of its inhabitants. The ethnographic work shows that the resistance of the villagers brings to light the existence of different ways of managing water, linked to different conceptions of water itself, the rest of nature, and of how relations between human beings should be developed. The resulting political conflict shows as well how these different positions conceal distinct ideas about where human dignity resides, and what and which are the rights of men and women.

Keywords

• Displaced by development
• water management
• human rights
• Jalisco
• Mexico