Residents of “La Plancha” refuse to leave their property

The Yucatecan researcher of the Mayan Culture, Freddy Poot Sosa reported that the residents of the area known as “La Plancha” where the “Constitutional Article 123” park is located, should in no way be removed or transferred to another part of the city arguing that their property is on the path of the Maya Train railway promoted by the Federal Government.

He said that both the State Government and the city council of Mérida should not allow the residents of the neighborhood known as “La Plancha” to be moved to other places just because the National Tourism Fund (Fonatur) wants to remove them from the area which has been their home for generations, just for a whim of the Federal Government.

He added that generations of Merida families have lived in this area over the years, they are still residents of that place, and in no way should they be evicted from their homes. It’s been said that Fonatur wants to negotiate with them, but that is unconstitutional.

He insisted that for years trains have circulated there without disturbing the residents of “La Plancha”, nor did they disturb the railroad service; even, the isthmus of Tehuantepec was providing railroad services for years, the trains arriving at the lands of “La Plancha” without disturbing the neighbors on their way, so the state and municipal authorities must protect the residents of this site from the city of Mérida without allowing them to be evicted by Fonatur.

Finally, Poot Sosa said that the Mayan Train must have its station in the peripheral ring in order not to enter the City of Merida; Otherwise, the station could be in the old railway station in the city on 54th Street, which has been abandoned for years and could well be rescued for the Maya Train project, what he called “a whim” of the federal government.