Playa del Carmen’s Protected Area Free of Squatters

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — The natural areas of Playa del Carmen are free of squatters, primarily within the "Felipe Carrillo Puerto" Flora and Fauna Conservation Area. Fernando Orozco, the official in charge of monitoring the aforementioned natural conservation area for the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), which includes lands of Calica, ruled out the existence of such actions against the right to a healthy environment.

"The people there have possession granted by Sedatu (the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development) and there is no pressure from squatting. One reason is that since 2009, they have been in a Conservation UGA (Urban Environmental Management Unit) under the Local Ecological Program (POEL), and they have also been in a Preservation UGA since 2019. The 2024 decree came to reinforce the protection established by the POEL," explained the official.

In the municipality of Playa del Carmen, the issue of land invasions has been very recurrent, primarily due to the case that emerged in the area of ejidal lands, where evictions concluded with the burning of a Playa del Carmen police bus.

The Felipe Carrillo Puerto Flora and Fauna Conservation Area, which spans 53,000 hectares and includes the lands of Calica, now shuttered, is located near the squatting zone known as "Las Torres," hence the concern that it could continue to expand.

"From the outreach that Conanp has had with Pacto Obrero, and the activities outlined in the decree for low-impact tourism, we are seeing how the management program and its activities are being developed, regarding trails, low-impact environmental tourism, and overnight tourism that could be offered to the people," he stated.

This refers to a community that remained within the decreed reserve, which is why the federal agency is seeking full regulation, as there are natural resources that, due to their beauty, are susceptible to tourist exploitation.

"It was not unfamiliar with conservation issues; the decree only came to reinforce conservation," he elaborated.

For the moment, the Calica reserve does not have a Management Program, but work on it is already underway.