El Guayabo is the youngest ejido sector in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, founded 25 years ago by decree of Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, although the history of the small town dates back to the late 19th century, as it was a mandatory stop on the old road to Nayarit, where its inhabitants took people across the mighty Mascota River in canoes.
The first president of this agrarian sector was Eulalio Callejas. Currently the ejidal commission is headed by Mr. Matías Sánchez Vargas:
“There are several problems there. Right now we want to build a road across the river for the community of El Guayabo. We submitted a request to the City Council to see if they can help us now that the waters are coming in very strong.”
Currently, El Guayabo has 57 ejidatarios, most of whom live outside the community, but who still maintain their agricultural and livestock vocation, which is why they are also affected by droughts:
“Of course, planting without water does not work. We use more water to have more products and better harvests,” said Matías.
In the middle of the last century, it had its splendor due to its bean, banana and tobacco crops, as well as the movement of travelers through the so-called “Paso del Guayabo”. It even had an elementary school, now in disuse, but the growth of the metropolitan area is already reaching this point, becoming an alternate route to join Bahía de Banderas. It is a neighbor of the ejidos Ixtapa, Las Juntas, Jalisco and San José del Valle Nayarit.
Human intervention in the tributary that runs alongside this ejido is also noticeable, as is the presence of crocodiles. He recalled that before, they were not seen around here.
“Here have been several. I haven’t seen one for about two years, but they are seen, and sometimes they are a danger, because there are children bathing, and calves. That can affect them, biting them, something” he warned.
He acknowledges that they have also been affected by the proliferation of sieves, which, by removing gravel and sand from the river bed, have affected its channel and aquifers.
The highway to Guadalajara also already crosses their lands, which he said benefits them:
“Several ejidatarios were even paid for what was invaded. I think it is 60 meters, but it was paid about three years ago. Everything is in order…if the capital gains increase, in about two or three years, it will be reflected there, the value of the lands more than anything.”