Cozumel’s 4th Cruise Pier: AMLO’s 2021 Approval Sparks Debate

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — As debate continues in Quintana Roo over the environmental viability of the proposed fourth cruise ship pier in Cozumel, shareholders of the company Muelles del Caribe remain confident that the current administration of Mexico’s Fourth Transformation (4T) will not abandon the project. The reason for their certainty lies in the fact that former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) personally authorized the initiative in 2021, instructing the late Secretary of Communications and Transportation, Jorge Arganis Díaz Leal, to sign the corresponding concession.

Federal Concession Granted Despite Environmental Concerns

The concession was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (Official Gazette of the Federation) on January 5, 2022, under the title: Concession granted in favor of the company Muelles del Caribe, S.A. de C.V., for the use and exploitation of federal public domain assets, consisting of a maritime federal zone for the construction, operation, and exploitation of a private-use cruise ship terminal, located in the municipality of Cozumel, outside the boundaries of the port area, in the state of Quintana Roo.

The concession specifies the allocation of 58,729.803 square meters of federal maritime zone, including:

• 11,202.03 square meters for the cruise ship pier
• 27,032.523 square meters for docking zone No. 1
• 20,495.250 square meters for docking zone No. 2

Despite the legal backing, environmentalists and local residents argue that the project threatens the Villa Blanca Reef, part of the Mesoamerican Reef System, the second-largest coral reef in the world.

Environmental and Legal Controversies

In December 2021, Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) approved the construction of the fourth pier, despite documented environmental risks and opposition from island residents and conservation groups. The project was included among 39 priority initiatives under the Economic Reactivation Agreement signed by López Obrador and private investors in October 2021.

According to the approved Environmental Impact Statement (MIA), the project requires an investment of 511 million pesos and will be located on the northwest coast of Cozumel, spanning both land (along Rafael E. Melgar Avenue at kilometer 3+625) and marine areas, including the Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat).

However, in 2023, Semarnat disclosed in response to transparency requests that Muelles del Caribe S.A. de C.V. did not hold the Zofemat concession under its corporate name—only under its legal representative (as of 2018). This discrepancy has raised legal questions, though the 2021 federal concession remains valid.

Ecological and Economic Concerns

The Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) and other civil society organizations have warned that Cozumel, already the second-busiest cruise port in the world with 3.4 million annual visitors, is ecologically vulnerable due to its isolation. The Mesoamerican Reef System supports over 3,000 marine species and serves as a critical barrier against hurricanes.

A 2015 assessment by the Healthy Reefs Initiative rated the reef’s overall health as "fair" (2.8 on a 5-point scale), with 40% of sites in poor condition and 17% in critical condition. Cozumel’s reefs scored 3.5, indicating moderate health.

Local tourism operators also oppose the project, arguing that cruise tourism fails to deliver significant economic benefits to the community. Meanwhile, state and municipal authorities have distanced themselves, attributing responsibility to past administrations—despite the project’s explicit endorsement by López Obrador’s government.

Legal and Political Pressures

Muelles del Caribe is now pressuring federal, state, and municipal authorities to expedite remaining permits, citing risks to their investment amid global economic uncertainty. Legal teams are reportedly addressing procedural flaws and alleged irregularities in environmental studies.

The controversy underscores tensions between economic development and environmental preservation, with critics warning of irreversible damage to one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems.