Mexican Army Resumes Construction of Military Retreat on Bacalar Lagoon After Legal Hurdles Lifted

Bacalar, Quintana Roo — The Mexican Army has resumed construction of a military retreat on the shores of Bacalar Lagoon after courts lifted legal injunctions that had halted the project for nearly a year. The work restarted behind the historic Fort of San Felipe Bacalar, with recent images showing workers pouring concrete for the building’s roof.

The project, managed by the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), was paralyzed in March last year when a judge imposed definitive suspensions. Environmental groups had challenged the construction, arguing that the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) exempted the army from submitting an Environmental Impact Assessment (MIA), violating the right to a healthy environment.

In November, under Mexico’s new federal justice model, courts removed the injunctions from three amparo petitions filed by the environmentalists. However, children from Bacalar, represented by the Federal Institute of the Public Defender, contested the removal of the definitive suspension. Federal magistrates have not admitted their review appeal for nearly three months.

Environmentalists claim the construction poses risks to Bacalar Lagoon, which hosts unique ecosystems like stromatolites. In a press release last March, Sedena stated it would implement environmental mitigation measures to respect the lagoon’s biotic and abiotic factors and that the retreat is needed for military personnel with post-traumatic stress.

Although the injunctions have been lifted, the First District Court has not yet issued final rulings on the lawsuits. If the court eventually sides with the environmentalists, there may be little left to protect as construction advances.