Arturo Herrera Guzmán, the local authority leader (jefe de tenencia) of Santiago Undameo, Michoacán, had spent months denouncing the unauthorized extraction of water in his community.
By 2025, up to 30 water tanker trucks were being spotted daily; by April 2026, he had counted around 100 units extracting water from the Río Grande and the Umécuaro Dam—some hauling up to 40,000 liters and making multiple trips a day.
He did not stop at mere words: he filed formal complaints, and local residents also approached the authorities to report the plundering of this vital resource.
In addition to defending the water supply, Arturo worked to secure road repairs and the construction of a vehicular bridge over the Morelia-Pátzcuaro highway—at a location where dozens of people had lost their lives in accidents.
He was a community representative who spoke up for his town when no one else would.
On the night of Friday, August 7, he was shot at a sports court in La Maiza.
José Iván, 42, died at the scene, and Arturo later succumbed to the severity of his wounds.
The town of Santiago Undameo lost the man who fought for its water and its roads.
Arturo Herrera was executed for denouncing the theft of water by tanker trucks in Michoacán.
It seems that defending community resources is another way to sign your own death warrant in the state of Michoacán.
Source: Milenio
