Residents Block Cruise Port Over Neglected Services

MAHAHUAL, Q. Roo — Residents of the Paseo del Puerto neighborhood in Mahahual blocked the entrance to the Puerta Costa Maya cruise ship pier on Tuesday morning. The protest was a measure to pressure authorities and the port's corporate owners after multiple formal requests for public services went unanswered.

The demonstrators stated that approximately 90 families in the neighborhood face poor road conditions, a lack of public lighting, and deficiencies in garbage collection. While these services typically fall under municipal jurisdiction, the city cannot provide them because the neighborhood is an irregular settlement.

The residents are demanding that Royal Caribbean Group provide the services and improve the urban landscape. They argue this should be part of the urbanization project contemplated following the company's acquisition of the cruise port and the announcement of the "Perfect Day México" tourism development.

Direct Appeal to Cruise Company

On Tuesday morning, residents arrived with signs at the pier's entrance to demand the presence of representatives from the cruise line and to present their grievances directly. They clarified that they are not seeking intervention from the State or the City Council, stating that those authorities lack jurisdiction in this matter.

"We have approached the authorities on several occasions without being taken into account, which is why we had no other recourse but to demonstrate to see if they will listen to us now," they stated.

Background of the Acquisition

The protest follows the confirmation by Royal Caribbean Group in June of this year that it had acquired the Costa Maya cruise port and 34 adjacent properties for a sum of 221.3 million pesos. This investment is to be followed by an additional $600 million dollars earmarked for the development of the project named Perfect Day México.