Progreso City Council ‘loots’ sand from the boardwalk, residents denounce

The City Council, led by Julián Zacarías Curi, continues to generate discontent among the people of Progreso, as alleged municipal workers were recently discovered looting sand from the Traditional Romeo Frías Bobadilla Boardwalk at dawn yesterday.

It drew attention that when the workers were discovered by the residents, they quickly left the site. Some of the individuals who expressed their anger over these activities reported that around 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16th, the sound of machinery was heard, and curious onlookers noticed several trucks removing sand from the beach.

One of the dissatisfied citizens was Professor Mario Ventura, who even asked the workers on duty about their actions, along with several witnesses. Surprisingly, none of the workers were willing to provide any explanation regarding their actions.

Animal rights activists also raised concerns about the ongoing nesting season. Federal agencies such as Profepa and Semarnat have repeatedly urged through various channels to prevent motor vehicles and large machinery from invading the coastline of the traditional boardwalk.

“The current administration does whatever it wants. This shouldn’t be happening, especially because we are in the second month of nesting. It’s a shame that we can’t rely on municipal authorities; they are only here for their own benefit,” stated Armando Ordaz.

“There is no authority on the boardwalk. We don’t even know the purpose of this work. The City Council is truly doing things wrong. The worst part is that they claim to be in favor of the environment, yet they bring machinery into an area where turtles come to nest or there may be nests beneath the sand,” said Cinthia Naah.

Furthermore, just last Saturday, neighbors near the International Boardwalk reported observing a bonfire with up to twenty people in this tourist attraction area. However, all that resulted from it were complaints on social media.

A few days ago, criticism was directed towards a construction project that took place in front of a restaurant located on 19th Street at 60th Street, after several workers damaged part of the Traditional Boardwalk’s wall. Additionally, there are complaints about rental palapas that have invaded most of the beach in this area of the port.

It is worth mentioning that there are departments such as the Ecological Police responsible for monitoring and ensuring security within reserves and protected areas. However, it is unknown if this department has initiated any investigations regarding the incidents described in this article.

TYT Newsroom