On Wednesday, March 18, a horrific scene unfolded at schools adjacent to the Dos Bocas refinery: polluting particles drifted down into the street, an unbearable gas odor filled the air, people coughed, parents panicked, and children ran from the Abías Domínguez elementary school to safety.
Residents living near the Dos Bocas refinery in Paraíso, Tabasco, reported that the Seco River was filled with dead animals and oil-like stains on Wednesday morning, and that strong sulfur smells forced some schools to close.
This was not a “minor incident”; this is a direct threat to families, teachers, and children who have been living next to a pollution hotspot for a long time. And as we previously published on the Tabasco Post, residents of the area have been denouncing serious health problems related to their proximity to the refinery.
What is most outrageous is that, according to the citizens of Paraiso, this is not an isolated incident, but rather a situation that has been recurring for months.
Lo de Paraíso ya parece zona de desastre ambiental.
— Enrique Muñoz (@enriquemunozFM) March 19, 2026
Hoy, en escuelas pegadas a la refinería Olmeca, se vivió una escena gravísima: partículas contaminantes bajando hasta la calle, olor insoportable a gas, gente tosiendo, padres en pánico y niños saliendo de la primaria Abías… pic.twitter.com/EjUM1ygOQB
The Sheinbaum administration has turned the refinery into political propaganda, but for the residents of Paraíso, it has left them living in a climate of fear, pollution, and neglect, which is becoming a serious public health problem for the community.
There are numerous warnings indicating that the situation has spiraled out of control for municipal, state, and federal authorities.
Source: Reforma
