Environmentalists Demand Reparations and Transparency After Mexico’s Win in Vulcan Case

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — An international arbitration ruling favoring Mexico in its legal battle with Vulcan over the closure of the Calica quarry is not the end of the conflict, environmental groups said, as they called for full transparency and concrete steps to repair years of environmental and social damage.

In a joint statement, Quetzzal Tzab González of the Movimiento Maya Peninsular and Aracely Domínguez, president of the Grupo Ecologista del Mayab, said the ruling must translate into real action for environmental repair and justice for affected communities.

The activists demanded that the federal government release the full arbitration award, including the amount of compensation, the legal arguments behind the decision, the outcome of Mexico’s counterclaim, and how arbitration costs will be distributed.

They also said the case highlights the need to reform international investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms, arguing that companies should be held to environmental and human rights obligations and that affected communities should have a voice in the proceedings.

Protected Area Management Plan Missing

A central complaint concerns the Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna “Felipe Carrillo Puerto,” decreed in 2024 over more than 53,000 hectares. The groups say the legally required management plan still has not been published, despite a one-year deadline. They demanded it be created through prior, free, and informed consultation with meaningful participation from local communities.

They also called for environmental remediation to go hand in hand with social reparations, including a publicly supervised plan and a fund to address health, drinking water, and infrastructure needs in neighborhoods that lived alongside mining activity.

Punta Venado and the Future of Mining

Regarding Punta Venado, the groups asked for clarity on the future of the port terminal and its concession, which runs until 2037. They said any decision must prioritize the public interest and involve consultation with the region’s residents.

The environmentalists insisted that the cessation of extraction must be permanent and rejected any possibility that Vulcan could receive new concessions or material banks in Quintana Roo or anywhere else in Mexico.

“The ruling does not repair the aquifer. The jungle does not return. The cenotes do not heal on their own. We will continue demanding this reparation before the authorities, litigating in Mexican courts, and organizing in the communities,” they concluded.