INAH Researcher Accuses Agency of Prioritizing Tourism Over Conservation

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — A researcher with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Quintana Roo has accused the agency of putting tourism development ahead of archaeological conservation, citing recent interventions at several major Maya sites.

In a document circulated Aug. 31, 2026, archaeologist Jaime Garduño Argueta, a researcher at the INAH Quintana Roo center, outlined what he called “the three current falsehoods of INAH authorities in the Maya Area.”

Interventions at Cobá and Tulum

At Cobá’s Nohoch Mul pyramid — the 42-meter-tall structure — Garduño criticized the recent placement of a modern wooden structure over the pyramid’s original steps. He said the intervention alters the monument and runs counter to consolidation criteria established in 1975 by archaeologist Norberto González Crespo.

In Tulum, Garduño denounced the construction of a service area attached to the ancient perimeter wall. The new building obstructs views of the monument from the main entrance and severely affects the site’s historic setting, he said.

Relocated Maya Structures

The most serious accusation involves the Balam Tun Archaeological Park. According to Garduño, 47 Maya structures were dismantled and moved from the sites of Francisco Villa, Juan Saravia and Jesús González Ortega, even though they were outside the direct route of the Maya Train and not at risk. He said the structures were stripped of their original facades and reassembled with new fill material at Balam Tun.

The Heritage Commission of the union representing INAH researchers and professors has already filed a criminal complaint against institute officials, directly naming former Director General Diego Prieto Hernández. Garduño called for an international expert assessment to determine the damage and urged a return to scientific rigor in Mexican archaeology.