Cancún Targets Illegal Housing Developments in Bonfil

Cancún, Mexico — Following the halt of construction on the “Oriolo” residential project in 2024 and its subsequent seizure by the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) due to environmental impact on 30,000 square meters, developers engaging in such illegal activities remain under the scrutiny of authorities.

Pablo Gutiérrez Fernández, Secretary General of the Benito Juárez Municipality, reported that on the secured property, 30,000 square meters were cleared in the Alfredo V. Bonfil ejido, with fills using stony material lacking environmental impact authorizations and necessary state and municipal permits, meaning the real estate development operated completely irregularly.

Despite the absence of permits and ecological damage, it was detected that developers continued offering lots for sale to the public through social media.

According to the municipal secretary, the closure of this development, which due to its irregularity does not guarantee basic services (electricity, water) to the homes, is part of a comprehensive strategy initiated by the Benito Juárez Municipal Government since 2018, under the management of the then municipal president, and now continued by the current mayor, Ana Patricia Peralta de la Peña.

“It’s not just about going to close it down, but a complaint was filed with the Attorney General’s Office in 2024, and today it is a secured property that sets an important precedent in the municipality, and a clear message that these illegal developments will not be allowed to take place,” he mentioned.

The strategy is based on three main pillars: the regularization of non-municipalized areas, preventing the proliferation of projects lacking necessary documentation, which results in homes without basic services and undermines the dignity of inhabitants, as well as comprehensive attention in neighborhoods through the maintenance of internal roadways.

The securing of this property, where the FGE acted based on a complaint, sets an important precedent that no more irregular developments endangering citizens’ assets and causing irreversible environmental damage will be tolerated.

This operation is the result of follow-up on actions undertaken since 2018 to stop this problem that occurred during many previous administrations.

In Cancún, at least five complaints of this type against irregular developments have been registered.