Cofepris Denies Having Tulum Office, Points Finger at State Health Agency Over Extortion Claims

Mexico City — Mexico’s Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) has clarified that it does not operate a municipal office in Tulum, Quintana Roo, pushing back against business owners who accused its inspectors of extortion.

In a statement, Cofepris said that all sanitary regulation and enforcement in the state is carried out by the Directorate of Protection against Sanitary Risks (Dpris), a local agency under the Quintana Roo Health Secretariat. “Cofepris clarifies that it does not have a municipal delegation in the state of Quintana Roo,” the commission said, adding that the Dpris acts as the local health authority.

The clarification comes after local business leaders told Milenio and other media that inspectors claiming to represent Cofepris had intensified inspections of hotels, restaurants, and other establishments in recent months. One anonymous business leader said inspectors “get down on their knees with a flashlight looking in corners, under the stove” for any violation, and then offer a choice between a legal fine of up to 50,000 pesos or a monthly bribe of 5,000 pesos.

“They are killing Tulum,” the business leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There is no political will. You have to pay protection money to the authorities now, and as a business owner you have to watch out for all authorities — municipal, state, and federal.”

Cofepris urged regulated sectors and the public not to remain silent about corruption and to use its formal complaint hotline, 079, under the slogan “Your Complaint Transforms.” The agency also noted that Quintana Roo has 57 video surveillance cameras and has conducted 28 verification visits since January as part of a national good governance strategy to prevent discretionary actions by state health authorities.