Mexico Opens Dialogue With Vulcan Materials to Resolve Calica Mine Conflict in Quintana Roo

Mexico City — The Mexican government, led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, has confirmed it is holding working meetings with U.S.-based Vulcan Materials to reach a negotiated solution regarding the Calica mine in Quintana Roo.

During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said discussions are ongoing and the goal is a consensual agreement. “We are in talks with the company and seeking a negotiated solution,” she said.

Regarding the possibility of continued extractive activities, Sheinbaum stressed that if allowed, they would only take place in areas already impacted and must not cause new environmental damage.

The government is also considering an alternative use for the Punta Venado port, infrastructure concessioned to the company and considered strategic for the region.

The conflict stems from complaints of overexploitation of stone materials and environmental damage attributed to Vulcan Materials through its subsidiary Calica in the Riviera Maya. In 2022, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration ordered a suspension of operations, citing alleged environmental harm and possible “ecocide,” as well as accusations of extraction beyond permitted limits.

The case led to land intervention and an international lawsuit filed by Vulcan before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for approximately $1.9 billion.

Sheinbaum reiterated her administration’s commitment to environmental protection while exploring possible agreements. “We are seeing whether it is feasible to reach an agreement or not, very responsibly,” she said.

The dispute has transcended environmental and commercial spheres, becoming a politically and diplomatically sensitive issue between Mexico and the United States. Vulcan Materials has sought support from U.S. lawmakers, while the case remains on the bilateral agenda.