Federal Judge Halts SEDENA Construction Near Bacalar Lagoon

Chetumal, Q. Roo. — A federal judge in Chetumal has issued a definitive suspension against construction work being carried out by Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) near Bacalar Lagoon, where local residents allege significant environmental damage.

The ruling further obligates the military institution to halt the construction of a rest house for military personnel, which had already been paused since early April under a provisional suspension.

Legal Action and Environmental Concerns

The First District Court of Quintana Roo published the judicial agreement on Wednesday, May 7, granting residents of Bacalar a definitive suspension as part of the indirect amparo (constitutional protection) lawsuit No. 241/2025.

The lawsuit targets multiple federal authorities, primarily SEDENA and the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), for initiating construction without environmental impact studies. Residents first detected the work earlier this year, noting dredging in the lagoon and other complementary activities that may have affected the 18th-century Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar, a historic architectural site.

SEMARNAT defended its decision in a statement, asserting that SEDENA was exempt from submitting an Environmental Impact Statement because, in the agency’s view, the project does not disrupt ecological balance.

Ongoing Legal Battles

Protests from local residents led to the filing of two amparo lawsuits—one by citizens and another by the organizations Defending the Right to a Healthy Environment (DMAS) and Common Justice Project (Projuc). These legal challenges resulted in two suspensions, one of which was made definitive last Wednesday.

Further legal action against SEDENA could intensify, as an incidental hearing is scheduled for May 22 in the amparo case filed by civil organizations, which are likely to secure another definitive suspension. The hearing was postponed from its original date after some defendants failed to submit court-requested reports.

Meanwhile, SEMARNAT and SEDENA have filed appeals with the Collegiate Circuit Courts in Cancún, arguing that their actions are legal and that environmental mitigation measures have been implemented. To date, their appeals have not been successful.