Indigenous Mayans seek personhood for sacred underground lakes in Yucatan  

By Teresa DeMiguel, Rodrigo Abd

When AP Climate video journalist and producer Teresa de Miguel first heard about the push to grant Mexico’s stunning cenotes, or underground lakes, personhood status, she knew it was crucial to find a good character to tell the story. After reaching out to sources in the Yucatan peninsula – an area she’s been reporting on about environmental issues for years – she got in touch with Maribel Ek, one of the Indigenous Mayans behind the lawsuit. 
De Miguel and photographer Rodrigo Abd traveled to the Yucatan peninsula – first flying to Cancun, then driving for hours to reach the remote community of Homun. The team spent hours with Maribel Ek exploring the caverns and cenote that she’s aiming to protect, documenting the spiritual connection she has with this sacred space she refers to as “a friend.” 
In only two days, the crew was able to film and take pictures in several cenotes, interview Maribel Ek and the lawyer that’s helping the Guardians of the Cenotes group in their fight, and document several of the pig farms operating in the area. 
Securing images of pig farms proved difficult. The companies operating in the area refused to respond to the access requests made months in advance, and the entrance to the farms was heavily guarded: When de Miguel and Abd approached one of the farms, they saw a security guard with a machete in his hand at the entrance. So the team flew Abd’s drone from a safe distance to capture the industrial pig operations affecting the area from the air. 
With stunning visuals, the project was a wonderful example of collaboration across formats.