Megaproject Problems: Mexico's Mayan Train controversies are always in the spotlight

Mexico's Maya Train, one of the major megaprojects greenlighted by former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has been heavily criticized in recent years for several reasons.

Firstly, because of the extra cost of the project, which has ballooned since construction began. The infrastructure required for the project has required a total investment of 515 billion pesos (about 25 billion dollars).

This is 230% more than what was officially forecast at the end of 2020 when a disbursement of 156 billion pesos or 7.7 billion dollars was estimated, as explained by the Mexican newspaper El Economista.

Another major controversy has been the environmental impact of the works. As the construction of the train tracks progressed, groups and residents denounced the devastation of the ecosystems of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Among the affected areas is the jungle, due to the deforestation of thousands of hectares of trees to make way for the train, cenotes and mangroves.

Activists also denounced the displacement of environmental diversity in the region of the Mayan Train's construction, calling it “ecocide.”

As El País México reported several communities in the area have been affected by the train, such as Bacalar or Calakmul. It also calculated that the Mayan Train's expected environmental damage will affect at least 100 indigenous communities, including their flora and fauna.

“The Maya Train is the most important railway infrastructure in Mexico, which is driving economic and tourist growth in the southeast,” reads the official government website on the Mayan Train according to a translation by Google. Tourism development is another controversial aspect.

In the presentation of former President Obrador's last report on the train, AMLO declared that, beyond the work on the train, the construction of six hotels in the region, which will have 1,136 rooms, were also being built. 

Image: Engin Yapici / Unsplush

Local communities have pointed out that these megaprojects follow in the footsteps of the development of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which went from being fishing villages to large tourist centers, have led to the seizure of lands and the disappearance of community practices and Mayan traditions.

Photo: Donato Gamboa / Unsplush