Military Plans Eviction of 600 Families in Puerto Juárez: Tourist Cooperatives Face Displacement

Over 600 families are at risk of losing their livelihoods due to a planned eviction of tourist cooperatives by the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena). This eviction is set to occur at the Integral Port Administration (APIQROO) dock, which has been used by these cooperatives for many years and serves as the departure point for tours to Isla Mujeres.

The tourist operators, who have been operating from this location for over 35 years, have been given a deadline to vacate the area. Sedena plans to construct a park in the area for a housing unit intended for military personnel from the Cancún detachment.

The operators claim that since the arrival of the commander of the 34th Military Zone, Fidel Mondragón Rivero, they have been pressured to leave the dock. This dock currently houses a total of 170 boats that operate tours to Isla Mujeres. Despite possessing documents permitting their operation along the coastal strip, the military intends to repurpose the dock for recreational use.

The dock has been in use for decades, even serving as the first crossing point to Isla Mujeres for supply deliveries before Cancún was developed. The military has threatened eviction by March 13, but reportedly retracted this threat after discovering the operators had planned a press conference to publicize the situation.

The operators maintain that while they respect the need for housing for military personnel, this does not justify the construction of a park at the expense of their livelihoods. They argue that they should be given an alternative location to move their boats.