The Mayan Train devastates the jungle in Mexico, says the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council of Xpujil; confirming damage to cenotes, underground rivers, wetlands and ecological reserves such as Calakmul: “The AMLO’s government does not respect anything”, the said.
The Maya Train Project is devastating the jungle in Southeast Mexico, since the companies that build it and the federal government are not respecting the two final sentences issued by the federal courts to suspend the work of this work in the Yucatan peninsula, reported Sara López González, of the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council of Xpujil.
The member of the committee recalled that the Indigenous Council filed two protection initiatives in the years 2021 and 2022 for the environmental damage that the works of the Maya Train are causing to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, in Campeche, and for the fragmentation of the peninsular territory.
The 1st court. of District and the collegiate court, both based in Mérida, granted the definitive suspension of the acts claimed by the Indigenous Council, for which legally the construction companies and the dependencies involved in the Mayan Train had to stop all work until there is a definitive sentence.
The devastation of the jungle by the Maya Train, unstoppable (Indigenous and Popular Council of Xpujil)
However, the sentence did not take effect, the builders mock it and the devastation of the jungle continues without anyone stopping it.
Sara López reported that the injunctions should protect sections 2, 3, 4.5 and 6, but federal justice does not prevent them from stopping the work of the Mayan Train. She even said that they have already notified the federal judge and magistrates who issued the sentences of this contempt, but there is no effect.
As the Regional Indigenous Council announced at a press conference in Mérida on June 28, the lawyers of this organization prepare the complaints before international organizations, such as the UN and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, but until today they have not presented it.
The Indigenous Council says: “They don’t respect anything”
“Whether or not there are protections, the work continues,” said the activist.
“The construction companies, Fonatur, Sedena and in general the government of the 4T do not respect anything. They apply a plan skillfully because while the court issues a sentence asking that they no longer throw down trees, they have already razed them, nothing stops them because it is the order of President López Obrador.
How does the Mayan Train affect the environment?
He said that the main losses and damages caused by the construction of the tracks, Mayan Train stations and tourist infrastructure is the deforestation of a large area along the entire route of the Peninsula, the affectation of cenotes and caves, the partial filling of the river Candelaria where they covered 70 meters of the water channel and left only 12 meters.
The member of the Indigenous Council added that the air pollution in the areas where they work because of so much dust the sky darkens as if there were clouds and the demolition of 300 houses and commercial premises on the route of Section 1 that goes from Xpujil to Candelaria, without the new homes being delivered to them until today.
It must be remembered that the filling of the Estero de Chac wetland in Bacalar, Quintana Roo, was recently made public, which the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena) itself admitted.
“The partial filling of the Candelaria River is going to bring us many problems in the heavy rainy season because the channel is shortened,” he said.
Mayan train devastated 3 hectares of Calakmul ecological reserve
They accuse severe damage to the environment caused by the Mayan Train, which impacts on the displacement of biodiversity.
“The works continue, Section 1 is not finished, the machinery and workers are working to the maximum. In Calakmul they devastated 3 hectares of the ecological reserve that should not be touched because it is a protected natural reserve.
I add: “If they were peasants who cut palm trees or firewood, they would be punished right away, but the construction companies that sweep hectares do nothing to them.
In Xpujil they razed 10 hectares of forests for the construction of the Calakmul station, they continue to open roads in the nature reserve”.
Damage to cenotes, caves and deforestation of the jungle along the railway line
In the case of sections 3 and 4 that pass over the Yucatecan territory, the member of the Indigenous Council commented that the main damage is to the numerous cenotes and the water they contain, to the caves and the deforestation of the jungle, which is in the entire length of the railway.
Go to international instances
Sara López informed that in a short time the demands will be reported in international instances, given the protection of the builders and the federal government agencies that develop the Mayan Train, whose inauguration and operation is scheduled for December of this year.
On the other hand, ejidatarios from Chan Yokdzonot II blocked the access road to the ejido, which leads to the Kopchén and Tepakán police stations, upset because Fonatur, which has the administration and supervision of the Mayan Train project, did not comply with the construction two kilometers from the road, much less were they compensated for the damage to their land.
As we have published, on previous occasions, ejidatarios from various communities such as Tesoco, Yalcobá, Sisbichén and Xcan have demonstrated against Fonatur, because it offered to all of them to build roads that lead to their ejidos and they never complied, despite the fact that they There are signed agreements.
In the specific case of Chan Yokdzonot, the ejidatarios explained that eight months ago they had been offered the construction of a two-kilometre access road to the ejido. In addition, they were told that they would be paid compensation, but they have not complied with any of this.
Afterwards, they commented every day that dump trucks pass by that take materials to the Mayan Train, because the sections are much closer to them, as is the case of Kopchén and Tepakán, which are on one side of the toll road.
They also added that the months have passed and they did not comply, and despite the fact that on several occasions they have asked an engineer, whose name they did not say, to comply with them and they simply ignore them, which is why they decided to block the road. of access to the common.
The community of Chan Yokdzonot can be reached by traveling on Zací Hual avenue, but a few meters before going up to the bridge that crosses the toll road, turn right and advance about 500 meters until you reach the town, then continue along the same road that leads to the common and the towns of Kopchén and Tepakán, which are on the side of the toll road.
Now the dump trucks will not be able to circulate on that white road, since the ejidatarios who installed a metal fence will not allow it, according to the protesters, until a Fonatur official arrives to fix the problem.
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