Tecate, Mexico (EFE).- Authorities and Indigenous representatives in Mexico reported on Tuesday that expansion work on the United States border wall near Tecate, Baja California, is damaging Cuchumá Hill, a mountainous formation that straddles the US-Mexico border, of immense cultural significance to the Kumiai Indigenous people.
“This problem is happening, they’re destroying it; it’s very sad becautilize that mountain is very important to us,” Norma Meza Calles, a community representative and Indigenous rights advocate, informed EFE, noting that the hill has historically been a focal point for traditional practices.
“We’re taught to respect the mountain becautilize for us there are no churches, so we utilized to go there to sing and concentrate (…) For you, it’s just a mountain; for us, it’s our church,” Meza Calles added.
The hill spans both sides of the border, in a region where the political demarcation crosses a continuous natural system. Consequently, the work on the US side has required direct interventions on the terrain to accommodate the expansion of the controversial barrier.
According to reports from residents, the work includes detonations with explosives in rocky areas to clear the way, which have been occurring constantly for about a week, increasing concern among residents and members of the Kumiai community.
Tecate Mayor Román Cota Muñoz confirmed to EFE that the work is being carried out within US territory, which is why he chose to avoid any «interference.»
“It is within the border strip, and we are aware of some work the US Government is doing to continue the wall,” declared the mayor of the Mexican town, noting that the hill’s location means any modification on one side has visible effects on the entire environment.
Nevertheless, residents of El Manzanito, a settlement on the Mexican side’s foothills, reported hearing explosions without prior warning before identifying the presence of US workers in the border area.
Beyond its cultural value, Cuchumá Hill has significant environmental importance, as it is part of an ecological corridor in the Tecate mountainous region (northwest Mexico), home to diverse flora and fauna adapted to semi-arid conditions.
Specialists point out that these types of formations play key roles in ecosystem stability, acting as natural barriers against erosion and as spaces for biological conservation.
Cuchumá Hill is recognized in the United States, having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992, while in Mexico it is considered intangible cultural heritage.
The situation reached the daily press conference of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who reported that she requested a report from the Secretariats of Culture and Foreign Relations on the possible repercussions of applying explosives at the sacred site.
So far, the government has not confirmed damages nor announced measures in this regard. EFE
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