Sand and gravel extraction threatens the Río Grande in Oaxaca ^{CEFR B1}

Large-scale sand and gravel extraction is affecting the Río Grande in the Cuicatec region of Oaxaca. Near San Pedro Chicozapotes the river can be about 300 metres wide and a fallen amate tree of at least 25 metres high shows a place now used by industrial machinery. A local resident using the pseudonym Don Ismael said extraction made many parts unsafe and that the river is more polluted and deforested than 10 years ago. Community agricultural authorities reported uncontrolled extraction in 2019.

Locals link the operations to the Concha Ojeda family. Extraction intensified after 2015 when the family expanded the business. Investigations led to Elpidio Desiderio Concha Arellano, a businessman and former federal deputy for the PRI from 2009 to 2012, and to his daughter Lizbeth Anaid Concha Ojeda, a local deputy in the Oaxaca Legislature. Residents say the family used influence to manage permits; river exploitation permits for the son expire in 2029.

Organisers held the first Forum for the Defence and Conservation of the Río Grande on 5 April 2025. They plan to form a defence front, visit villages along the river and raise awareness about extraction and pollution. Lawyer Liudmila Oropeza Fuentes said those exploiting the river have influence in state and federal institutions and many residents fear reprisals.