The Deepwater Horizon was an offshore drilling rig that exploded on April 20, 2010. The incident killed 11 crewmen and caused the largest marine oil spill in history. The explosion caused a massive environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.

The petroleum spill devastated marine life and polluted more than 1,300 miles of shorelines, putting thousands out of work. The incident highlighted the risks that come with drilling for oil.

The Deepwater Horizon incident expended more than ten years and billions of dollars for cleanup efforts. BP, the former oil-giant, denied the spill reached Mexico, despite claims from scientists and fishermen. Mexican communities affected by the spill have yet to receive a cent in compensation even after a decade.


'We've been abandoned.'

Riverside communities along the Gulf of Mexico thrived primarily due to their fishing industry that supported tens of thousands of families. However, the fish stocks began to decline a year after the BP oil spill as more than 5m barrels of crude oil destroyed marine life, coral reefs, and birds in the area.

The oil giant took full responsibility for the incident following public and political outrage in the U.S. They paid out over $69 billion---more than $10 million of which went to affected fishermen and businessmen.

The company left out Mexican fishermen. They claim the ocean's currents propelled the spill in the opposite direction. The community that once had freezers full of fish began seeing empty coolers.

Saladero, a village situated on the bank of the Tanchochin River, made a living from fishing in the lagoon. Ninety-five percent of the village's residents relied on the 65-mile body of water that stretches from Tampico, Tamaulipas to Tuxpan, Veracruz.

Now, the youngsters and working people in the village are forced to work as maquilas or production plants in faraway cities.

"Before, we had money in our pockets," Juan Mar Aran, a fisherman for 60 years, said. "Now, we depend on our children. We've been completely abandoned."


Struggling For Nothing

Before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, fishermen in the Saladero community caught more than 11,000 kilograms of shrimp, 36 kilograms of bass, and 281,000 kilograms of oysters. In 2019, they only reported 1,000 kilograms of shrimp, 20 kilograms of bass, and no oysters.

Enrique Aran, the president of the Saladero fishing cooperative, said British Petroleum only compensated Americans supported by President Obama. Mexican fishermen were mocked and discriminated against

"We're struggling for nothing," he said.

The Mexican government withdrew a lawsuit against BP in 2018, settling the case for $25.5 million. The secret deal was uncovered by Buzzfeed and Poder, a transparency group. The Mexican government, which was then under former president Enrique Pena Nieto, also made several multimillion-dollar deals---including several oil-drilling sites and gas pipelines---with British Petroleum.

Under Nieto's administration, reports by various scientific institutions, as well as a lawsuit filed by 10,000 fishermen, were classified by the government. The extent of the damage was kept from the public.

In Saladero, primary schools see fewer than 30 students. Dozens of abandoned boats also line the riverbank. College students were forced to drop out to start working and send home remittances.

"There's no money because there's no fish," a resident said. "We need compensation. We want justice."


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