Gonzalez and her family live by the Santiago River, one of the most polluted in Mexico. For the past 20 years, she has led a grassroots movement for river protection. She founded the Un Salto de Vida (A leap of life) association to protest against river pollution, and raised awareness about the health implications for those living nearby this river by organizing the so-called "Tours del terror" (terror tours) to expose the disparaging situation to academics, students, politicians and international organizations. The association resisted implementation of policies and infrastructure that would worsen the situation of the river by peacefully demonstrating as well as co-producing water quality knowledge and history of the Santiago river. Graciela continues this work along with national networks of people affected by pollution, despite continuous threats to her and her family as well as pressure from the local government.