Youth Congress in Playa del Carmen Demands Action Over Words

Playa del Carmen, MX. – Following the Ninth Youth Congress “Voces del Presente,” held last week in Playa del Carmen, authorities and participants agreed on the need to move from words to action by forming change agents that function as a real mechanism for citizen participation and follow up on proposals put forward by young people.

During the congress proceedings, young people presented initiatives to address various social problems, including land invasions, the inclusion of young people with disabilities—whom they demanded be seen not as a concept but recognized as people with rights and their own realities—as well as digital violence.

Participants repeatedly expressed their rejection of being used for political purposes, solely for photo opportunities, and demanded to be heard effectively, with concrete results.

In this context, José Gabriel Pérez Álvarez, director of the Playa del Carmen Youth Institute, stated that it is time to end the pretense and provide real support for the proposals emerging from this space.

The official emphasized that projects driven by young people should not remain as just an image or a single event, but should transcend administrations, particularly in this year 2026, declared the Year of Youth, with the goal of generating lasting changes in Playa del Carmen and in Quintana Roo.