Sheinbaum Announces Gulf of Mexico Permanent Hydrocarbon Observatory Decree Following Pemex Oil Spill

On April 20, President Sheinbaum announced that her government would issue a presidential decree creating the Observatorio del Golfo de México — a permanent scientific monitoring body to track hydrocarbon spills and strengthen emergency response capacity in the Gulf. The observatory will monitor the Gulf using satellite imagery 24/7 and make its data publicly available in real time. The decree is to be published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación. The announcement follows the Abkatun-A offshore pipeline leak confirmed April 17 (affecting 48 beaches, with 915 tons of waste collected and three Pemex employees fired) and the Dos Bocas refinery explosion of March 24 — two major Pemex environmental incidents within 30 days. Analysts noted that Pemex operations staff initially covered up the Abkatun pipeline leak. Sheinbaum said the observatory would guarantee 'transparency in information about contamination and other investigations at Pemex,' and framed the initiative as part of her Healthy Life strategy, under which Mexico has reduced its obesity ranking from first to eighth globally. Environmental NGOs welcomed the monitoring pledge while calling for criminal accountability for those who covered up the Abkatun spill.