Union Leader’s Beach Privatization Plan Blocked

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — José Isidro Santamaría Casanova, a union leader with the CTM, has been dealt a significant setback by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), which denied him permission to construct a beach club at Punta Esmeralda in Playa del Carmen for failing to comply with environmental regulations.

The attempt to privatize this federal zone, which has been closed since 2018 by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), generated public opposition due to its ecological impact. This development adds to the existing legal challenges facing the union leader.

The news outlet Sol Quintana Roo first reported Santamaría Casanova's intention to take over Punta Esmeralda beach at the beginning of last year through the installation of a beach club promoted by his own company, Corporativo Balam Kan.

According to resolution 23_MP-0139_01_24, the proposed project's environmental impact assessment did not meet the necessary characteristics to carry out construction work on the site, leading Semarnat to withhold the permit. The project was named Beach Club Balam Kan.

In his application to Semarnat, Isidro Santamaría requested a one-year period for construction and a 50-year term for operation, should the permit be granted. He intended to invest 2,823,100 pesos.

The project consisted of installing a beach club with a wooden palapa to serve as a restaurant and offer tourist services, according to the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) consulted by this media outlet.

The site had previously been shut down by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) in 2018. In the MIA, Isidro Santamaría acknowledged the administrative penalty imposed by the federal agency.

“An administrative order was issued by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (…) for having begun work without the corresponding environmental authorization (…) by placing 4 wooden posts; however, by resolution no. 0230/2018 dated November 1 of the present year (…) a fine is imposed which was paid in a timely manner,” the individual stated.

This closure and its implications were exposed at the time in 2018. To date, no private individual has obtained a permit to exploit the federal zone at Punta Esmeralda due to the fragility of the ecosystem and the social repercussions, which have included protests against any attempt at privatization.

Currently, José Isidro Santamaría is the subject of a criminal prosecution related to an alleged homicide, according to court documents reviewed.