“Unfulfilled Promises: Indigenous Community Support Neglected”

Indigenous communities have historically been marginalized in social, economic, and political development. This is according to Hermelindo Be Cituk, president of the National Plural Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy (Anipa) Quintana Roo. He points out that despite the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which mandates that no one be left behind, the promises of support for these communities remain unfulfilled.

Be Cituk, a social activist for indigenous and native communities, cites the recent elections as a prime example of this neglect. He claims that the usurpation of spaces in candidacies was a clear violation of their rights. He notes, “There are around 160,000 Mayans in Cancún alone, but they are not represented in the council. Politicians claim to represent this population, but they do not.”

In Felipe Carrillo Puerto, José María Morelos, and Lázaro Cárdenas, there are only three indigenous councilmen. In Othón P. Blanco, Bacalar, and Tulum there are two, and in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Benito Juárez, and Isla Mujeres, there is only one. Be Cituk believes this is uneven representation, especially considering the large number of Mayans who have migrated to the northern area. He also criticizes the state government's lack of support programs, particularly those related to training community members for the upcoming Mayan Train project.

Be Cituk insists that more needs to be done in these communities, such as integrating more people with productive projects into the indigenous tourism network for economic development. He notes, “Most of the community members are women and the elderly, as the young continue to migrate north in search of better opportunities.” Many end up as cheap labor for construction or basic jobs in the tourism industry, despite having qualifications, and resort to driving taxis for income.

Another concern is the discrimination they face due to their language. Be Cituk criticizes the Quintana Roo government for not promoting training in the Mayan language. He points out that there is a 20-year-old federal General Law of Linguistic Rights that has not been implemented at the state level, preventing schools from making the Mayan language a subject.

On August 16th, the Fifth Mayan Congress will be held at the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Technological Institute. However, many leaders have expressed their reluctance to participate due to the lack of results from previous events. Be Cituk laments, "They only use us for the forum."