Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — In a contradictory turn to the legal battle over cultural appropriation, the Maya Council of Quintana Roo publicly backed Grupo Xcaret, weeks after Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled against the company for using indigenous heritage symbols.
The council’s statement came Saturday at Plaza 28 de Julio in central Playa del Carmen, where they joined a protest by about 150 canoeists affected by the cancellation of the Sacred Maya Crossing event scheduled for May 15.
Simón Caamal Coh, president of the Maya Council, criticized Supreme Court Chief Justice Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, accusing him of denying them a hearing and “overriding the will of the people.”
“It hurts more because he comes from indigenous roots; it’s not right to talk about justice without speaking to the people,” Caamal Coh said in a message read to protesters.
The support for businessman Miguel Quintana Pali’s company appears paradoxical, as the same council filed the initial complaint with the copyright authority in 2022.
Caamal Coh attempted to distance himself from the current legal process, pointing to a dissident group led by Maya general Alejandro Cauich May from the Tixcacal Guardia ceremonial center as orchestrators.
The legitimacy of the council’s support has been questioned following revelations by Justice Yasmín Esquivel Mossa during the March 26 court session. According to the justice, there may be a 15 million peso contract between the council and Xcaret allowing use of the symbols—an allegation Caamal Coh called false on Saturday.
The controversy intensified when council members arrived and left the protest in a van owned by Xcaret, which they parked in front of the municipal palace.
The event cancellation has left more than 300 people uncertain about their participation. Guillermo D. Cristy, a canoe master with nearly 20 years of experience, lamented that the recreation of the pre-Hispanic crossing to Cozumel has been left adrift.
Timeline of the Conflict
- 2022: The Maya Council files initial complaint with copyright authority over cultural appropriation.
- 2023: Xcaret reaches agreement with the council, but the state continues legal proceedings.
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