Cozumel Mayor Accused of Corruption and Favoritism

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The tenure of José Luis Chacón Méndez as head of the Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation in 2024 has left a trail of alleged financial irregularities involving millions of pesos, which remain unpunished to this day. His administration oversaw the expenditure of over 107 million pesos, of which at least 67 million were never audited due to the complicity of Quintana Roo’s Superior Audit Office, supported by Miguel Zogby Cheluja Martínez.

Alleged Corruption and Political Protection

Chacón Méndez, now the Morena-affiliated mayor of Cozumel and a former PRI member, has been accused of prioritizing the interests of the Borge Martín and Borge Angulo families. During his time as director of the foundation, he remained silent on a legal case involving the families’ attempt to seize over 300 hectares of land in central Cozumel, including an archaeological site owned by the foundation.

In 2015, lawyers Gabriel Antonio Abdalá Berzunza, Gerardo Góngora Cervera, and Gerardo Francisco Medina Cámara filed a lawsuit against the foundation on behalf of Roberto Borge Martín, father of the former governor. The legal action was authorized via a notarized power of attorney certified by Ricardo Lezama Pech, head of Notary Office 47 in Cozumel.

Questionable Expenditures and Lack of Accountability

Chacón Méndez has faced allegations of authorizing unjustified external audits costing nearly 300,000 pesos, allegedly to manipulate financial records. He also approved "phantom" consulting and training services worth over 319,000 pesos and simulated Infonavit payroll contributions exceeding 317,000 pesos, potentially harming employees.

Despite these accusations, no further scrutiny was applied to the unaccounted 67 million pesos, and an alleged loss of 931,000 pesos to public funds was downplayed. Chacón has yet to address these discrepancies, benefiting from political protection that reinforces perceptions of corruption and impunity.

Unfulfilled Campaign Promises

Six months into his mayoral term, Chacón Méndez has failed to deliver on key campaign pledges, including the rehabilitation of the Benito Juárez municipal market, which remains in deplorable condition. Instead of addressing urgent infrastructure needs, he has focused on public events aimed at bolstering his political image.

Carnival Controversy and Suspected Kickbacks

The organization of Cozumel’s 2025 Carnival, one of the state’s oldest, has raised corruption concerns. Héctor Martínez Ramírez, director of Municipal Public Services, contracted Mérida-based company ARMAR to manage the event, including hiring performers, at a cost exceeding 40 million pesos. Reports suggest Martínez collected kickbacks of up to 20%, allegedly funneled to Chacón.

Further allegations involve favoritism in vendor selection, with inflated payments—such as 4.5 million pesos for renting the Moby Dick event space, owned by José Luis Argüelles González, brother of Edwin Argüelles González, brother-in-law of imprisoned former governor Roberto Borge and father-in-law of Chacón.

Political Background and Ongoing Scandals

Chacón’s political career, shaped under Roberto Borge’s PRI leadership, includes prior roles as a councilman and manager of CAPA, the state government’s discretionary fund. Since taking office, he has allocated substantial funds to friendly media outlets to promote stalled projects, including a 250-million-peso tourism initiative.

Critics argue his administration mirrors past PRI corruption, now under Morena’s banner, with unchecked misuse of public resources and a disregard for accountability.