INAH Union to File Criminal Complaint Over Alleged Damage to Archaeological Heritage Linked to Maya Train

Mexico City — The National Union of Scientific Research and Teaching Professors of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (SNPICD-INAH) announced it will hold a press conference on Tuesday, July 14, to detail a criminal complaint filed with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FGR) over alleged damage to Mexico’s archaeological and cultural heritage linked to the Maya Train project.

The complaint, filed July 7 in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, calls on federal authorities to investigate actions taken during the Maya Train Archaeological Salvage Project, particularly on sections 6 and 7 of the railway. The union’s Commission for the Protection and Legislation of Archaeological, Historical, and Paleontological Heritage also flagged concerns related to the construction of the so-called “Báalam Tun Memory Park,” a project tied to the railway.

The union alleges that acts during the salvage project may constitute crimes against the nation’s archaeological and historical heritage. Further details are expected at the press conference, scheduled for 11 a.m. at the SNPICD-INAH union hall at Córdoba 45, Colonia Roma, Cuauhtémoc borough, Mexico City.

Federal authorities have not yet issued a public response to the legal action.

The complaint comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Maya Train by academics, specialists, environmental organizations, and citizen groups, who have raised concerns about the project’s impact on archaeological sites, ecosystems, and cultural heritage in southeastern Mexico.

If the investigation proceeds, the FGR will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to open formal proceedings and assign responsibility for any alleged damage.