Professor Salvador Peniche Camps from the University of Guadalajara (Mexico), visiting professor at UCSS, will give a lecture on Wednesday 20 October at 6 pm in the Cuccaroni Lecture Theatre.
A specialist in land use planning and ecological economics, he will address the economic, political, and ecological issues of the Santiago River. The conference will be given entirely in English.
25 Years of Academic Activism: The Battle for Lake Chapala and the Santiago River Basin
Lake Chapala is the last major body of water in the Mesoamerican neo-volcanic axis and marks the geological boundary between North America and Mesoamerica. This magnificent hydrological system, the Santiago River basin, which founded the cultural and economic development of western Mexico, became without realizing it, the axis of Prof. Peniche-Camps’ life for more than a quarter of a century.
From the academy he has focused his research efforts on the study of economic, social and ecological conditions, in collaboration with fabulous colleagues, lovers like me, of the lake.
In the multiple battles held against authorities and elite people who have openly, or in veiled terms, expressed their intention to drain the lake, he will remember violent marches, visits to the Senate, or to the presidency, trips to international organizations, books, magazines, reports and many talks with extraordinary people, inhabitants of the communities that live the tragedy and defend the lake every day.
There are many outlandish stories about lake Chapala. It is said that it is a landing zone for extraterrestrial ships, that it is inhabited by Wirrarika deities and demons, that has the gift of sowing erotic love in its visitors. The truth is that the spiritual force that overwhelms Prof. Peniche-Camps’ soul every time he visits it has not diminished one gram since his first visit 25 years ago.