Military to Administer Three Sections of the Mayan Train

President López Obrador announced that the government is studying the possibility of giving to the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) and the Ministry of the Navy, the administration of sections 1, 6 and 7 of the Mayan Train. The president said this could finance soldiers´ pensions, as well as increasing the security in the region.

The Mayan Train is one the main infrastructure projects for the López Obrador administration, which will play a key role in the economic development of the country’s southeastern states. This year, its construction has made great progress in its development phase, both in its contracting and initial construction phase, according to MBN.

The Mayan Train will run  1,500 kilometers through the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. The project has an estimated investment of US$5 billion and it is expected that 70 percent of its profits will be generated from its transportation service. The president said operations will start between 2023 and 2024. reported MBN.

Due to the project’s relevance, the government has hired responsible and professional companies to guarantee the efficient implementation of diverse  infrastructural projects. The president said this project will be protected from privatization reported El País.

López Obrador said the armed forces seem to be the best option to protect it from privatization and as a result, the president is considering that SEDENA administers the project sections from Tulum, Quintana Roo, to Palenque, Chiapas, and the airports of Chetumal, in Quintana Roo, and Felipe Ángeles, in Mexico City, reported El País.

However, this decision could find oppositions, especially from indigenous people, and environmental organizations that seek to protect the natural area of the region. Until now, the infrastructure project has accumulated three suspensions from nine indigenous communities: Mayans, Chuun t'aan and Chol.

Moreover, this month a first circuit judge based in Campeche suspended the construction of the Mayan Train’s second segment, which runs for 222km beginning in the southern city of Escarcega to Calkini, located in the northern part of the state. The suspension was due to the pressure of several groups that opposed to the deforestation plans that could affect the communities and their human rights, reported MBN.

In response to these opposition groups, the president has emphasized that the project is being implemented by respecting the law. “The construction of the Mayan Train does not oppose human rights; it protects the environment and commits no injustices,” said the president.