PETA Latino Honors Playa del Carmen Mayor for Animal Welfare Leadership and Closure of Animalandia Maya

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — PETA Latino has awarded a Certificate of Recognition to Mayor Estefanía Mercado for her leadership in animal protection, particularly for shutting down the illegal use of wildlife in tourist photo attractions and strengthening animal welfare policies in the city.

The international animal rights organization thanked Mercado for her efforts to combat practices that harm wildlife and for ensuring compliance with laws that promote a culture of respect toward animals.

The recognition follows the closure of Animalandia Maya, a facility accused of using wild animals for entertainment and commercial exploitation. Coordinated action by municipal agencies ended those practices, sending a clear message that animal protection is a priority in Playa del Carmen.

“Your commitment to protecting wildlife from exploitation and to ensuring that laws are effectively enforced sends a powerful message: cruelty has no place in your community,” said Alicia Aguayo, director of PETA Latino, in the award letter.

Mercado has said her administration promotes sustainable and humanistic development, where respect for all forms of life is part of building a fairer, more conscious, and responsible city.

Under her administration, the city has strengthened animal protection actions, environmental oversight, and institutional coordination to address citizen complaints about animal abuse, species trafficking, and wildlife exploitation.

The international recognition positions Playa del Carmen as a benchmark in animal welfare and reaffirms the municipal government’s commitment to legality, environmental protection, and building a more empathetic community.