Environmental Concerns Delay Maya Train Construction Inspection – What Happens Next?

Over a month has passed since a district judge in Yucatán demanded an inspection of the Maya Train's Section 5 South construction. Despite this, the courts in Quintana Roo have yet to fulfill this requirement. Patricia Godínez, the complainant in the indirect amparo lawsuit 1003/2022, confirmed that the inspection order given by the District Judge in Mérida remains unexecuted.

"The inspection by the officers ordered by the judge in Mérida has not taken place. We are waiting for that. We will see what is going to happen," Godínez stated. On March 10, the First District Court in Yucatán directed the federal courts in Quintana Roo to perform a judicial inspection of the Maya Train's Section 5 South construction. Environmentalists have raised concerns about the filling of cenotes in this area.

The order from the federal judge in Yucatán to his counterparts in Quintana Roo was issued as part of file 1003/2022 of indirect protection. The order reads: "Send a respectful request to the District Judge in the State of Quintana Roo, residing in Cancun, Quintana Roo, in turn, to assist the Federal Justice, commission any of the officers attached to that court and establish themselves on the said premises, and carry out the inspection or judicial proof, which must be restricted to the points related in the written document submitted."

Godínez reiterated that Section 5 South extends from Playa del Carmen to Tulum, spanning approximately 65 kilometers. It crosses the line of some of the world's most important underground rivers. The amparo lawsuit was filed by citizens of Playa del Carmen, along with members of the ecological association Moce Yax Cuxtal.

Godínez also mentioned that Profepa, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, acknowledges significant environmental damage to the caves. As a result, they are planning additional legal challenges, similar to those they have presented in recent months in defense of the environment.