Yum Balam Fire on Holbox Sparks Corruption Allegations

Lázaro Cárdenas, Quintana Roo — The mayor of Lázaro Cárdenas, Nivardo Mena Villanueva, is once again under public scrutiny for multiple acts that reveal an opaque government marked by corruption, authoritarianism, and a lack of commitment to security and the environment.

Following a recent fire that consumed several hectares in La Ensenada, within the Yum Balam Reserve, Mena Villanueva is reportedly authorizing multi-million peso construction permits in favor of the developer Península Maya Developments through his Directorate of Urban Development.

This action has prompted the mobilization of various environmental organizations that have requested a 20-year development moratorium to protect this natural area—a request the municipal president has flatly rejected, arguing that "since it is already damaged, there is nothing left to protect."

Mena's administration is also characterized by its refusal to guarantee minimum security conditions for municipal police officers, declining to pay for medical insurance that would protect the officers who risk their lives daily in the municipality. This omission has been harshly criticized by citizens and the officers themselves, who face the uncertainty of lacking adequate medical coverage.

On the legal front, this authoritarianism is reflected in the continued role of his best friend, Lidia del Carmen Suárez May, as legal coordinator and advisor to the City Council. Her role has been questioned, as she is limited to containing or disappearing any information related to the corrupt acts and bad practices of Nivardo Mena, ensuring that corruption remains hidden and without consequences.

The recent departure of Abner Uriel Zetina Couoh, former legal director of the City Council, has further exposed the authoritarian control and corruption prevailing in the municipal administration.

The diversion of public resources is also evident in the issuance of construction licenses that mostly favor the company Península Maya Developments, a beneficiary of multi-million peso contracts amid a questioned and non-transparent process. This privilege to the detriment of the real needs of the municipality reflects a management model based on cronyism and corruption.