MND Local San Miguel de Allende: Investments, golf, midwives and a decline in violent crime

Plenty of San Miguel de Allende news has been circulating lately, including possible federal funding to fix a water contamination problem, state investment in local infrastructure projects, growing opposition to a golf course proposal and the inauguration of the country’s first midwifery center.

Presa Allende cleanup included in 2027 federal budget

Mexico’s proposed 2027 federal budget allocates 100 million pesos (about US $5.6 million) to clean up the Ignacio Allende Dam southwest of San Miguel, which impounds the Presa Allende reservoir, and tributaries including the Río Laja, which flows into the reservoir.

The cleanup would involve “a comprehensive sanitation of the basin, the sustained elimination of water hyacinth, the improvement of water quality and control of sources of pollution.”

For several years, about three-quarters of Presa Allende has been covered by thick mats of water hyacinth (lirio acuático in Spanish). The infestation is triggered by untreated municipal sewage and fertilizer runoff flowing from the Río Laja into the reservoir.

This fast-growing invasive plant harms fish, birds and other wildlife by blocking sunlight and oxygen. It also creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes, restricts water levels, and obstructs fishermen and recreational boaters.

MND Local: Golf course, green spaces and industrial growth in San Miguel

Amigos de la Presa, Audubon de México, Rescatemos la Presa Allende, Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende-Midday, Caminos de Agua, and other local organizations and volunteers have sponsored cleanup projects and raised money and awareness in recent years. However, this marks the first time a significant amount of federal funding has been proposed for a long-term solution.

Action on the issue could come soon. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s finance minister delivered the proposed budget to the Chamber of Deputies in early September, and Congress typically adopts the final budget in November or December.

Update on proposed golf course near El Charco

Growing opposition to the construction of a golf course north of the El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden on the northeastern edge of San Miguel has bolstered an online petition drive. As of Sept. 27, the petition had 84,513 verified signatures and 336 comments, all opposing the project. Signers expressed concern about threats to the environment and water supply while advocating for the preservation of wildlife habitat and green spaces.

State and local officials have spoken out about the proposal. Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco and Guanajuato Governor Libia Dennise García Muñoz Ledo were recently approached in San Miguel by a demonstrator holding an anti-golf course sign. Trejo said such projects must comply with the law. The governor later clarified during Sheinbaum’s Sept. 18 mañanera press conference in Irapuato that no authorization has been granted for a new golf course in San Miguel.

The proposal emerged about a year ago with the backing of Lorena Ochoa, a World Golf Hall of Famer described as Mexico’s most accomplished golfer. El Charco representatives stated the golf course would be in “the worst imaginable location” on a large rural tract of land directly bordering the botanical garden.

Opposition to the course mobilizes

In its September newsletter, El Charco stated it “celebrates the determined community mobilization opposing the golf course, hoping the developers behind this ill-advised initiative will heed the growing public opposition and acknowledge the project’s lack of water and ecological viability. Furthermore, it calls upon the municipal government not to authorize the project under any circumstances, given the heritage value and characteristics of our local landscape.”

San Miguel currently has three golf courses: two 18-hole courses (Malanquín and Las Ventanas) and one nine-hole course (Zirándaro).

Mexico’s first Excellence Center for Midwifery and Wellbeing opens in San Miguel

Mexico’s first midwifery center has opened in San Miguel, offering free maternal healthcare that combines traditional and professional midwifery with specialized medical services, including a midwifery school. The center, part of the national IMSS-Bienestar system, is located at Indalecio Allende 4 in the San Rafael neighborhood.

Sheinbaum inaugurated the facility Sept. 18 via video conference, noting the center was established following an approval process involving traditional midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists.

“It’s truly something special,” Sheinbaum said. “I was there when it was just about to be built, and now it’s a reality. And I hope we can build them in other places.”

Guanajuato governor announces investments in San Miguel

During her recent visit to San Miguel, Gov. García said the state will invest in local infrastructure and public works projects to drive economic growth and strengthen collaboration between state and local officials.

These investments will focus on transportation infrastructure improvements, healthcare services and social programs.

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“San Miguel de Allende is a cornerstone of Guanajuato’s identity, tourism and economic vitality,” the governor said.

One proposed project includes a parking garage to relieve traffic in the city’s Centro district. Trejo proposed the project to reduce vehicle idling, enhance pedestrian safety and protect historic buildings from traffic-related wear and tear.

Centro suffers from a severe parking shortage, with reports indicating only about 5,000 spaces are available for the more than 100,000 visitors who travel to San Miguel during holidays and major events.

Officials report homicides down, arrests up in Guanajuato state

Homicides have dropped 43% this year in the state of Guanajuato, according to federal officials who shared statistics at Sheinbaum’s Sept. 18 mañanera in Irapuato.

Marcela Figueroa, head of the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, reported an average of 3.2 homicides daily in Guanajuato in August. The daily average from January through August of this year was four, representing a 43% decrease compared with the same period in 2025.

Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said 10,699 people were arrested in Guanajuato state between Oct. 1, 2024, and Aug. 31 of this year, with 172 “priority targets” taken into custody. He added that authorities seized more than 6 metric tons of drugs and 2,000 firearms during that timeframe, and dismantled two methamphetamine laboratories.

While questions remain regarding how some of these statistics are categorized and tracked, a new federal security strategy targeting key perpetrators of violence appears to be contributing to the decline.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.