Mérida, Yucatán — A federal judge has overturned a ruling that ordered the transfer of two hotels near the Chichén Itzá archaeological site to businessman Fernando Barbachano Herrero, dealing a new setback in a long-running legal dispute.
The ruling, issued June 29 by the Fourth District Court in Yucatán in amparo case 1123/2025, nullified an April 29, 2025 hearing in which a Cancún control judge ordered the release of the hotels Mayaland and The Lodge at Chichén Itzá and their return to Barbachano Herrero.
The federal court found that the Quintana Roo judge lacked legal authority to hear the case, violating jurisdictional rules set by the Fourteenth Circuit Collegiate Court on Criminal and Administrative Matters. That higher court had ruled in October 2023 that all proceedings related to the fraud investigation and administrative file 687/2022 belong exclusively to Yucatán judicial authorities.
The amparo granted by the federal judge annulled the hearing that had restored possession of the hotels to Barbachano Herrero.
In response, Inmobiliaria R4 — the company litigating for the properties — said the ruling confirms its argument that the handover was ordered by an authority without legal power. The company stated that due to a definitive suspension obtained in another proceeding, Barbachano Herrero had not been in possession of the hotels since March 2026, and that it had sought their return as the legitimate prior possessor.
Inmobiliaria R4 also noted that an arrest warrant remains active against Barbachano Herrero for aggravated trespass, though this is part of an ongoing legal process.
The dispute over the hotels near Chichén Itzá began with a fraud complaint related to their operation and ownership. In February 2022, authorities seized the properties, and the case has since moved through appeals, jurisdictional conflicts, and amparo proceedings.
The latest ruling does not resolve the underlying ownership question but establishes that any future decisions must come from competent Yucatán judicial authorities, invalidating all actions taken by Quintana Roo courts.
