The Struggle Continues: A Critical Analysis of Mexico's Neoliberal Water Policies and the Yaqui Conflict

Neoliberal policies supporting the commodification of water have increasingly created conflict across Latin America. Although the conflicts are occurring in different geographical landscapes the literature on the subject has steadily focused on the urban narrative. One example of this has been the increasing focus on the successful indigenous water rights campaign in Cochabamba, Bolivia. International development and conflict resolution literature perceives the Bolivian story to be a victory for indigenous water rights. In contrast, the recent indigenous Yaqui conflict in Sanora, Mexico has reawakened the issue of the rural water conflict across Latin America. The Yaqui conflict also brings awareness to the plight of indigenous communities and the method of social resistance to protest unjust neoliberal water policies in impoverished areas. This case of the Yaqui water conflict reaffirms the continued fight against neoliberal water policies in rural Latin America for farmers, peasants, and indigenous communities.