Mara Lezama Honors 4,790 Maya Artisans on World Embroidery Day

Tihosuco, Quintana Roo — Gov. Mara Lezama Espinosa marked World Embroidery Day by honoring the work of more than 4,790 Maya embroiderers, calling the craft one of the most representative expressions of the state’s living cultural heritage.

Speaking from the community of Tihosuco in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Lezama said her administration has supported thousands of artisans as part of an effort to protect ancestral knowledge and generate well-being for the families who keep it alive.

“In this humanist government with a feminist heart, we have supported more than 4,790 embroiderers, because protecting ancestral knowledge also means generating well-being for those who keep it alive,” she said.

Lezama noted that each embroidered piece tells a story and reflects the memory, worldview and identity of the Maya people. She credited artisans from communities such as Tihosuco, Chanchen Primero and Dziuché, among others in the Maya Zone, for preserving that legacy.

“Each stitch tells a story. The hands of our artisans preserve a legacy that has passed from generation to generation and today still fills Quintana Roo with pride,” she added.

As part of the state’s efforts to strengthen the artisan sector, Lezama highlighted new commercial spaces, including the Fonart store at Parque del Jaguar in Tulum and the Tienda Artesanal Caribe Mexicano at Fuerte de San Felipe in Bacalar. She also cited the creation of the Commission for Artisan Development and Ancestral Knowledge, increased support for municipal and community cultures, and a proposed law for the promotion, protection and development of artisan work.

The governor said protecting the work of artisans also means conserving history, strengthening local economies and keeping alive the cultural identity that distinguishes Quintana Roo nationally and internationally.

From Tihosuco, a community emblematic of Maya memory and resistance, Lezama reiterated her commitment to public policies aimed at preserving this cultural heritage for future generations. She congratulated the state’s embroiderers for their contribution to Quintana Roo’s cultural wealth.