Inside the Controversial Maya Train Scandal

The Yucatan Peninsula has seen a loss of 285,580 hectares of jungle due to the controversial Maya Train project. This initiative, which has become a national embarrassment for Mexico, has led to the felling of seven million trees, despite initial promises from the government that not a single tree would be cut down.

Contrary to initial claims, the train does not run along an existing track, but instead cuts through seven sections of the jungle, spanning over 1,500 kilometers and 34 stations across the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo. The project is far from completion, with only sections of the track inaugurated and a full route yet to be finished.

The train service currently consists of mediocre quality trains that run slowly and stop abruptly. The stations are semi-empty, with unfinished bathrooms, leaking buildings, and a lack of amenities such as ATMs and currency exchange offices. Transport from the stations to lodgings or places of interest is either deficient or non-existent.

The surrounding infrastructure is underdeveloped, with few businesses operating near the stations. It's likely that only small shops from the hundred communities affected by the train tracks will thrive. These communities, poorly considered in the project's planning, have seen their living conditions worsen due to the train's construction.

In response to legal challenges from affected Indigenous communities and environmentalists, the government declared the Maya Train a matter of national security on May 18, 2023. This move has made it difficult to identify landowners near the stations and potential investors.

Interestingly, one known landowner near the Maya Train stations is Felipa Guadalupe Obrador, a cousin of the president, who has received direct contracts from Pemex worth 365 million pesos. She also manages two hotels near the ruins of Palenque, Chiapas. Just two months after the start of the Maya Train project, her properties were authorized to provide lodging services.

Overall, the Maya Train project is a clear example of corruption and environmental damage, causing harm to both the local communities and the surrounding jungle.