Federal judge grants injunction to protect the Yucatan Cenotes

The collective Kanan Ts’ono’ot (Guardians of the cenotes) announced that the Fourth District Court of the Fourteenth Circuit has granted a definitive injunction to prevent the imposition of megaprojects that endanger the environment and the Maya territory of the geohydrological reserve of the cenote ring in Yucatan.

The judicial decision, made on May 30th, recognizes the importance of preserving the natural and cultural wealth of this protected area and takes measures to guarantee the protection of this valuable heritage.

The collective has been requesting federal, state, and municipal authorities to establish measures to halt the increasing environmental and territorial impact in Homun for over seven years, according to José May, a member of Kanan Ts’ono’ot.

Due to the lack of response from the authorities, the collective filed a legal petition before the Federal Court to demand the protection and recognition of the cenotes as subjects of rights, with the aim of safeguarding their guarantees to life in a healthy environment, self-determination, and the protection of their cultural legacy.

The legal petition was admitted on March 6th, and the Fourth District Judge decided to grant the provisional injunction until the responsible authorities issued their responses to the filed complaint.

After considering the arguments presented by the authorities, the judge determined that there were grounds to maintain the injunction due to the environmental risks faced by the cenotes.

The definitive injunction was granted, arguing that the authorities’ delay in responding to the demands of the Maya people endangers the right to prompt and expeditious access to justice, as well as the precautionary principle in environmental law. Furthermore, these omissions violate the rights established in the Constitution, which recognizes the right of every person to a healthy environment.

The presiding judge stated that the negligent actions of the authorities could result in ecological imbalance or irreparable damage to the environment and natural resources caused by various industries and megaprojects that are attempting to be built or expanded in the area.

While this definitive injunction does not mean that the legal petition has been won by the Guardians of the Cenotes, it does prevent the continuation of megaproject implementation in the Maya territory of Homun due to the irreparable risks they could pose to the environment and cultural rights.

TYT Newsroom