Tho’ Park without INAH’s endorsement: citizens say Renan Barrera seeks to build on Maya archaeological vestiges

The Mérida City Hall still does not have the endorsement of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to build in the Altabrisa eco-archaeological park, where there are Mayan vestiges, to replace it with the project called Tho’, assured the delegate in Yucatán, Arturo Chab Cárdenas.

The federal official also warned that any project to be built there must take into account the opinion of the inhabitants of the area. “Awareness is being raised among the community, but it is necessary to be respectful and to include the comments of the neighbors themselves,” he reiterated.

In spite of this, the Comuna has already put in machinery to dismantle and begin work on the new park. However, despite accusations from neighbors that the work has destroyed archaeological remains, Chab Cárdenas said that he has no knowledge of any damage.

As we reported in previous editions, residents of Altabrisa filed a popular complaint with the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) against the Mérida City Hall for clearing and stripping more than 2,000 square meters of land known as “Parque Eco-Arqueológico INAH Altabrisa” or “Sitio Arqueológico ex monitora“, located at Calle 21 No. 521 with 22-A in the subdivision of Altabrisa. 521 and 22-A in the Altabrisa subdivision, for the construction of alternative roads to this controversial project; they claimed that the machinery destroyed Mayan vestiges.

In this regard, Chab Cárdenas acknowledged that in these works several tree felling were reported – “it is up to Semarnat and Profepa to check it“-, and in the case of INAH it is up to them to watch over the archaeological monuments; but he assured that, in the verification visits, no damage was reported to him.

He indicated that in the site there is an archaeological site popularly known as La Inalámbrica, in which a large polygon was installed and there is an area that is considered as an archaeological site and is under the protection of the Federation, so they will work together with the City Hall to develop “a respectful, harmonic and cultural product“.

Although they have not received any request for the Tho’ Park project, he affirmed that they have been in constant communication with the City Hall.

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