Tensions Soar as Tulum Airport Deadline Nears

October 24, 2023, 7:56 am

1 minute read

TULUM, Mexico – Ejidatarios from Chunyaxche and Anexos in Felipe Carrillo Puerto are on the brink of blocking Tulum’s “Felipe Carrillo Puerto” international airport due to unfulfilled promises by the federal government regarding land distribution in the surrounding area.

Over the past weekend, more than 600 members of the community held an assembly where they made the decision to stage a protest at the construction site of the megaproject this coming Friday. Their intent is to impede the movement of workers until their concerns are addressed.

Jacinto Canul Pacheco, the President of the Ejidal Commission of Chunyaxche and Anexos, emphasized that from the outset of the airport project when they relinquished land for its construction, there was a commitment from federal authorities to distribute and allocate land to the ejidatarios. However, this commitment has yet to be fulfilled.

“The commitment made to us was that the area surrounding the airport would be used for land distribution, and before the completion of the project, we would receive these lands. But time has passed, and we have seen no progress,” said Pacheco.

Their fear is that the airport’s construction will conclude, and the authorities will depart without fulfilling their promises, especially considering that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has stated that the airport will be inaugurated in December. The ejidatarios are anxiously awaiting what the future holds.

In their assembly, the community members decided that this coming Friday, starting at 4:00 AM, each of them would gather at the construction site as a form of protest to block access, with the aim of getting the attention of the authorities.

Pacheco concluded by highlighting that their stance is not against the airport project itself; rather, they are supportive of the development within their territory. Their primary concern is that the authorities do not forget them and that the commitments made when their land was allocated to this significant project are honored.