Maya Train Sparks Power Crisis in Calakmul

Calakmul, Mexico — The flagship infrastructure project of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has, far from improving the quality of life for residents of Calakmul, worsened it, as the electrical supply is now deficient due to constant failures, with harmful consequences for the inhabitants of the area.

The decline in the quality of service provided by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has led to protests and complaints from communities. In the case of the Campeche municipality of Calakmul, the problem has been concentrated in the community of Conhuas.

The project is also using the total capacity of the electrical supply, since the Federal Government led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not invest in basic infrastructure, meaning the communities are the ones paying the consequences, according to former mayor Felipe Mora Hernández.

"How is it possible that they have built hotels with hundreds of rooms without first building the basic infrastructure, namely electrical energy and hydraulic works?" he accused.

Residents accuse the Maya Train of having been carried out without consulting or taking into account the existing communities. The lack of planning in terms of basic infrastructure is now generating a negative effect for the residents of the communities established along the Maya Train route.

Representatives of various civil society organizations, academics, and Mayan farmers, convened by the National Indigenous Congress Península de Yucatán Region, participated this morning in the "Forum Meeting in Defense of Life and Territory." Together, they declared their total rejection of the construction of the project called the Maya Train and made it clear that they will not allow the consultation called by the federal government for the upcoming 14th and 15th to take place.

"We consider that these mega-projects only intensify the dispossession of lands, the destruction of archaeological zones, and the exploitation and enslavement of the Mayan peoples, who have always been seen as objects of value to attract tourism," they stated.

Communities located along the Maya Train route in the X-Pujil region report constant power outages and a total absence of service for days, affecting their daily activities and businesses.

Unfulfilled Promises

The government of the so-called Fourth Transformation (4T) had promised to improve the electrical supply with the Maya Train's infrastructure, but the inhabitants feel that these promises have not been fulfilled and that they have been deceived.

Furthermore, residents accuse the government of using ejidal lands for the construction of the Maya Train's electrical infrastructure without following legal procedures, such as consultations and the payment of corresponding compensation.

Electricity, A Basic and Essential Human Right

The communities emphasize that access to electricity is a fundamental human right and an essential service for their well-being, and that the State has an obligation to guarantee it.

The inhabitants perceive that the government prioritizes the works of the Maya Train over the needs of local communities, leading to an abandonment of their rights to basic services.

These situations have led to the mobilization of the inhabitants, who have carried out road blockades to demand the attention of the authorities and the restoration of electrical service.

The Key Points of the Protests and Complaints:

• Lack of electrical service or deficient service: Communities in areas adjacent to the Maya Train, such as the X-Pujil region, report constant power cuts and a total absence of service for days, affecting their daily activities and commerce.
• Unfulfilled promises: The government had promised to improve the electrical supply with the Maya Train's infrastructure, but the inhabitants feel these promises have not been fulfilled and they feel deceived.
• Use of land without consultation or compensation: Residents accuse the government of occupying ejidal lands for the construction of the Maya Train's electrical infrastructure without following legal procedures, such as consultations and payment of corresponding compensation.
• Prioritization of Maya Train works: Inhabitants perceive that the government prioritizes the works of the Maya Train over the needs of local communities, leading to an abandonment of their rights to basic services.

These situations have led to the mobilization of the inhabitants, who have carried out road blockades to demand the attention of the authorities and the restoration of electrical service.

The town of Nuevo Conhuas is a village located in the municipality of Calakmul, with approximately 503 inhabitants. Near Nuevo Conhuas is the Mayan archaeological zone of Balamkú, located 3 km to the northwest. According to some sources, Nuevo Conhuas has around 757 inhabitants, with 39% being Catholic.