Landowners Protest Unpaid Compensation in Tren Maya Dispute

In San Francisco de Campeche, landowners who have had their properties expropriated by the Tren Maya project have been protesting in front of the Fonatur offices for six days. They claim that instead of receiving the compensation they're demanding, they've been misled with promises of virtual meetings that end up being cancelled.

Representatives for the affected landowners, lawyer Francisco Javier Flores Morales and Enrique Perales, have reported that despite their attempts to engage in dialogue with central Fonatur authorities, they've been given the runaround. They've been promised meetings that never happen, and they're left in the dark about why their compensation payments, due in January, have not been made.

The landowners insist that there seems to be no intention to secure the necessary funds and pay for the lands, which are already registered in the name of the Tren Maya. They have reiterated their willingness to engage in dialogue but have also stated they will continue their protest until their demands are met.

In the meantime, they are staging a permanent sit-in, sleeping in tents and hammocks strung between the palm trees. They have also formally requested the intervention of Governor Layda Sansores, hoping to facilitate a conciliatory dialogue.