Institutional Mafia Threatens Sian Ka’an: Extortion & Dispossession!

The National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) and the National Guard have been accused of infringing on the rights of Mayan dignitaries, indigenous peoples, landowners, legal possessors, hotel entrepreneurs, and tourists visiting the Mexican Caribbean and Sian Ka'an Reserve. They reportedly obstruct access at the only entrance to Boca Paila, leading to business bankruptcies and violations of free transit and human rights.

This goes against the statements of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has advocated for the rights of indigenous peoples and respect for their properties and natural heritage. Landowners in the buffer zone of the Biosphere Reserve allege that the new provisions established with Jaguar Park in Tulum are intended to extend to this area for unlawful purposes and shady dealings that amount to extortion and dispossession by the directors of Conanp, a legacy from Alfredo Arellano that continues with Alonso Orozco Ojeda.

In a press release addressed to the Presidency of Mexico and the general public, the affected parties state, "In the municipality of Tulum, there is a violation of human rights and the political constitution of Mexico by the authorities of Conanp and the national guard against Mexicans, tourists visiting Tulum and the owners and legal possessors of lands in the area close to the ruins of Tulum".

They report that for several months, the national guard and Conanp have been denying access to the road leading to Boca Paila, where several private properties and tourism businesses are located. As a result, these businesses are on the brink of bankruptcy as free access is not allowed for Mexicans and tourists.

The landowners are also reportedly denied access and are forced to pay an illegal fee. When they have sought protection from federal judges, the authorities have denied it, making it impossible for them to obtain justice.

The national guard is also accused of taking possession of the lands, dispossessing and invading private property, and threatening to use their weapons against the people. The affected parties argue that these acts constitute violations of the constitutional right to property and possession.

The affected parties have repeatedly reported that the buffer area was hijacked, destroyed, and handed over to a power mafia of former presidents Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto when they put Alfredo Arellano in charge of Conanp. Sian Ka'an, a protected area with a density of 0, allegedly became the property of Hollywood stars, drug traffickers like Pablo Escobar, and corrupt politicians.