Environmental Groups Challenge Legal Timeline in Mahahual Urban Plan Dispute

Mahahual, Quintana Roo — Environmental organizations have raised concerns about how a legal challenge related to recent modifications to Mahahual’s Urban Development Program (PDU) has been handled. The groups Salvemos Mahahual and DMAS allege inconsistencies in how the First District Court in Chetumal has interpreted legal deadlines.

The conflict centers on defining the timeframe for challenging the PDU revision. Initially, Judge Eugenia Maritza Valencia Hernández considered the modification an administrative act, which establishes a 15-day period for filing appeals, counted from when affected parties become aware of the act. However, the same court later changed its approach and treated the revision as if it were a law, setting the deadline from its official publication on December 5, without considering when the community actually gained access to the document.

For the environmental groups, this change in legal interpretation represents a contradiction that could undermine fundamental rights including legal certainty, judicial security, and effective access to justice. According to them, the current interpretation limits the community’s ability to fully participate in protecting the territory and environment.

In contrast, the company promoting the development project has expressed confidence that the legal framework will allow them to proceed with their plans, stating they will comply with established timelines to advance construction scheduled for 2027.

Mahahual, a recognized tourist destination in southern Quintana Roo, finds itself at the center of ongoing debate between urban growth and environmental conservation.

The legal controversy over the PDU could set an important precedent regarding how deadlines are calculated in legal challenges related to urban planning instruments in Mexico, and how development projects can ensure they respect both the law and community participation.