Akumal, Quintana Roo — Environmental activists have denounced the rapid clearing of jungle for a real estate development near this coastal community, alleging that the project lacks the required federal environmental permits.
Journalist and lawyer Fabiola Cortés Miranda and environmental activist Elías Siebenborn said they reviewed the ecological gazette of the federal Environment Ministry (Semarnat) from 2024 to the present and found no Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) registered for the property in question.
The project is located about two kilometers from the town of Akumal, along the road leading to Uxuxubi. Vegetation removal has exposed a large cleared area. According to a worker at the site, the work corresponds to a real estate development, the activists reported on social media.
The absence of a registered project in the public record raises questions about the legality of the construction and the authorizations under which the work is being carried out, particularly given the scale of land clearing and the speed of the intervention, the activists said.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the development is being promoted by a Spanish citizen and may involve political figures as partners. However, no public documentation has been presented to confirm the identity of the developers or the alleged participation of the individuals named.
The development site is also close to the route of the Tren Maya, an area that has experienced growing real estate and tourism pressure. According to the activists, the expansion of new projects threatens to deepen vegetation loss and increase risks to the underground water system characteristic of the Riviera Maya.
Cortés Miranda and Siebenborn are calling on Semarnat and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) to conduct an inspection, make project information public, and determine whether the work has the necessary environmental permits or if measures should be taken to halt potential damage.
