Maya Community Enters Playa del Carmen Boundary Controversy

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The Felipe Carrillo Puerto community has joined the controversy over Maya settlements located at the western extreme of the state territory that allegedly belong to the municipality of Playa del Carmen and require attention in public services.

In the updated 2023 Playa del Carmen Risk Atlas map, the community is located in a wedge of municipal territory that passes near Cobá, a locality belonging to Tulum.

Hermelindo Be Cituk, state president of the National Indigenous Plural Assembly for Autonomy (Anipa), reported that this Maya community shows neglect in various areas and that evidence suggests it forms part of the municipality of Playa del Carmen, as it appears within the local territory on various official maps despite its distance from the municipal seat.

“It is a community that also appears within the municipality’s map, but remains in this controversy. In the previous administration we submitted a document, but it was not followed up in this administration. It is an authentic Maya community, which is also very close to the boundaries with Yucatán,” stated Be Cituk.

It joins the controversy along with Punta Laguna, Hidalgo and Cortés, and Yaxché. The first community was even claimed at one point by the government of Valladolid, Yucatán, although on maps it is located within the territory of Playa del Carmen and consequently Quintana Roo.

Furthermore, in the official list of communities that form part of Playa del Carmen displayed in this document, the name of the Felipe Carrillo Puerto community appears with a population of 147 inhabitants; however, in images of some community services, logos of the Government of the State of Yucatán and the municipality of Chemax from that entity are visible.

“It is necessary to clarify this because meanwhile the inhabitants there do not receive adequate services, they have no certainty, and being an indigenous community they can appeal to other more precise mechanisms,” added Be Cituk.