Ex-Governor Claims Ownership of Cozumel Archaeological Site

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Former Quintana Roo Governor Miguel Borge Martín is embroiled in a major controversy over his legal claim to the San Gervasio archaeological site. The dispute centers on a 385-hectare property, including all revenue generated by visitors to the historic zone.

Legal Battle Over Public Land

Borge asserts ownership as the “sole and universal heir” of Miguel Vivas Rivero, the previous claimant to the land. On February 23, 2015, he filed a civil lawsuit (Case No. 68/2015) in the Cozumel District Civil Court against the Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation (FPMC), seeking inheritance rights to the property.

However, records indicate the land was expropriated for the FPMC and originally designated as communal ejidal land, which would nullify private inheritance claims. Critics argue the legal challenge should never have been permitted.

Questionable Legal Proceedings

Further scrutiny reveals that Pedro Joaquín Delbouis, then-director of the FPMC, filed a response to Borge’s lawsuit one day after the legal deadline had passed. Observers suggest this procedural lapse may have weakened the foundation’s defense.

If successful, the case would transfer control of a nationally significant archaeological site to private hands—an unprecedented outcome for Mexico’s cultural heritage.

The controversy has drawn sharp criticism, particularly given Borge’s political stature. Critics question why a former governor would pursue ownership of protected public land.