487 Maya Dignitaries Demand Removal of INMAYA Director in Quintana Roo

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo — Traditional Maya authorities in Quintana Roo have asked the state government to remove Eder Enrique Chuc Cen, director general of the Institute for the Development of the Maya People and Indigenous Communities (INMAYA), accusing him of irregularities in the distribution of financial support for ceremonial centers.

The request is backed by 487 of the 490 registered dignitaries, according to the Gran Consejo Maya, and was filed on Oct. 19 with the state government’s Oficialía Mayor and Secretaría de Gobierno.

Complainants accuse Chuc Cen of keeping his distance from traditional authorities, delaying responses to their requests and, in some cases, handing out less money than was approved for community and ceremonial activities.

They also allege that officials asked them to sign documents that did not state the amounts received — a practice that, if confirmed, would call into question the institute’s spending controls.

Ceremonial Centers Report Shortfalls

Faustino Poot, a representative of the Chumpón ceremonial center, said his community was approved for 6,000 pesos for traditional activities but received only 4,000. He said officials later asked them to sign blank forms on which the amounts would be filled in afterwards.

His account raises questions about where the missing 2,000 pesos went, though no documents have been presented so far to establish whether an administrative violation occurred.

Gabino Cruz Yeh, representative of the Chancab Veracruz ceremonial center, said the INMAYA director told him his community would no longer receive support for primicias — first-fruit offerings — and other traditional ceremonies. He argued that public money set aside to preserve Maya customs should not be distributed according to the personal criteria of the agency’s head.

Representatives of Tixcacal Guardia, La Cruz Parlante, Tulum, Yaxley and Xyatil joined the complaint. Juan Caamal Coh, a commander and representative of Tixcacal Guardia, said the community filed requests throughout 2026 without receiving answers, and he criticized how rarely the director visited.

11 Million Pesos Budgeted for Dignitaries

The complaints come in a fiscal year in which INMAYA has a modified budget of 38,736,074 pesos, up from the 38,465,074 pesos originally planned. Of that total, 11,013,599 pesos are earmarked for the financial support program for Maya dignitaries.

Budget figures alone do not show how much money has actually reached beneficiaries, or whether recorded amounts match what communities received. Reviewing the allegations of signed receipts without stated amounts would require examining authorization files, payment records and the institute’s oversight mechanisms.

Calls for the Governor to Step In

Simón Caamal Coh, president of the Gran Consejo Maya, asked Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa to review the INMAYA director’s conduct and address the complaints of traditional authorities. He said the problems go beyond ceremony funding, citing pending requests for medical care, wheelchairs, crutches, canes and other assistance for residents of Indigenous communities.

He insisted that the money the institute administers is public funds, not benefits that officials may grant or withdraw at their discretion.

No administrative investigation or ruling confirming the alleged irregularities has been announced. Chuc Cen has not publicly commented on the accusations.

The dignitaries are waiting for the state government to respond to the petition filed Oct. 19 and to review how INMAYA authorizes, delivers and accounts for the funds destined for the Maya people.