Young People to Participate in Mayan Train Project

The National Tourism Development Fund (FONATUR) considers that younger generations will be the ones to benefit the most from the Mayan Train and decided to invite them to participate in the project. “This government must show real change, which means allowing renovations and the creation of new development plans for the entire country, where young people can contribute with a wider view of the world. Young people want to be a part of the Mayan Train and the project must meet their expectations,” Rogelio Jiménez Pons, Director General of FONATUR, said in a press release.

Jiménez Pons went on to explain that the Mayan Train is more than just an infrastructure project. It will be a tool that will allow the reconstruction of the social fabric. He summarizes the Mayan Train as a social justice endeavor that requires everyone’s participation, especially from neglected groups and population segments.

According to FONATUR, the Mayan Train is seen as a historic opportunity to boost quality of life and as a fundamental part of the community. The Mayan Train will also contribute to personal and professional projects, as well as the social, cultural and economic development of younger generations.

In attempt to promote the inclusion of younger workers, Keyla Álvarez Arzate, Deputy Minister of the National Employment Service, highlighted there are still 50 job openings for the Mayan Train project. To this day, the project has generated 36,859 jobs in its first four sections. These job openings can be found in Palenque, Chiapas and Cancun. Additional recruiting is scheduled to continue once the states go green in the epidemiological traffic light.

The Mayan Train, however, remains shrouded in controversy. The Superior Auditor of the Federation (ASF) found a number of irregularities in the mega project’s current development, as previously reported by MBN. ASF concluded that FONATUR has not justified spending worth US$8 million. Suspensions against the project are still appearing, as well. As reported by MBN, a judge in Yucatan has granted a provisional suspension against the Mayan Train in the state, following lawsuits from the Múuch’ Xíinbal Assembly for the Defense of Mayan territory and the Chuun t’aan Maya Collective.

FONATUR has stated the such suspensions will have no effect on the project because construction is still not in progress in Yucatan. Only rehabilitation, maintenance and modernization work on the already existing rail are undergoing. The suspension will not have any effect on studies and permits, either, the public body says.