Devastation in Yucatan: Mayan Train Project Clearing Rainforest

The National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) has cleared 219.5 hectares of rainforest in the Yucatan Peninsula for the construction of the Mayan Train project. This was done with the approval of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), despite the absence of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

This deforestation accounts for 28% of the total 767 hectares of forest land cleared for the construction of the railway's fifth section, which stretches from Cancun to Tulum in southeastern Mexico. Sedena has established four quarries or extraction banks in this area, which have cost 165 million pesos.

These quarries were provisionally authorized by Semarnat in 2022 and 2023, without the existence of an EIS. However, Sedena began presenting the required EIS from February 19 onwards, with the expectation that the quarries will operate for one to two years.

The quarries are located in the Municipality of Solidaridad and Benito Juarez. They are used to extract materials such as gravel, clay, tezontle, and limestone. These materials are then used to construct terrains, roads, slopes, and the subgrade that supports the railway tracks of the Mayan Train.

The construction of the Mayan Train, which is still incomplete, is expected to cover a circuit of 1,554 kilometers through the states of Yucatan, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, and Quintana Roo.

In the EIS, Sedena states that the extraction of these materials is significant due to their economic and social importance. The availability of these resources not only facilitates the construction of houses and services but also contributes to the growth and development of local communities by creating jobs and stimulating the buying and selling of materials.