Playa del Carmen Holds First Citizen Participation Forum Under Mayor Estefanía Mercado

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The Playa del Carmen municipal government held its first Citizen Participation Forum of 2026 on Monday, aiming to strengthen ties between officials and residents while encouraging greater community involvement in public affairs.

Mayor Estefanía Mercado led the event, organized through the Secretariat of Social Justice and Citizen Participation. It brought together neighborhood representatives, students, and municipal authorities at the boxing gym of the Luis Donaldo Colosio Sports Unit, creating a space for direct dialogue about community proposals and needs.

Rusbel Pat Cahuich, Secretary of Social Justice and Citizen Participation, emphasized the importance of integrating youth voices into the public agenda and strengthening collaboration with neighborhood committees to build a more participatory society.

“This forum was created with the vision of strengthening the social fabric, reaffirming the willingness of Mayor Estefanía Mercado’s government to maintain open and constructive dialogue with all citizens,” he said.

During the forum, neighborhood committee leaders presented concerns and proposals for improving conditions in their communities.

Nelly Patricia Rubio, representing the Guadalupana neighborhood, requested action to address accident risks on a busy road used by students traveling to schools. She proposed installing a pedestrian crossing and speed bumps or traffic cones to reduce vehicle speeds.

Elsy Savala, from the In House neighborhood, called for increased police patrols and improved street lighting, describing the area as vulnerable and in need of greater security presence.

Mariana Gómez, president of the Pescadores II neighborhood committee, identified waste management as a major challenge in her community. She proposed coordinating with the municipal government to organize cleanup campaigns and promote greater responsibility in trash handling.

The program also featured presentations on “Active Citizen Participation” by Jorge Alfonso Osorio Aguilar, head of the Municipal Transparency Liaison Unit, and “Citizen Participation Mechanisms” by William Jesús Góngora Gómez, a specialist in Government and Public Management from the Autonomous University of Quintana Roo.

Attendees included Third Councilor Matilde Carrillo Vejar; social programs coordinator Antón Bojórquez; Diego Amílcar Morales Ramírez, director of Social Proximity for the Secretariat of Citizen Security; Alejandro López, director of Agricultural and Fisheries Development; Emilia Elvira Jiménez, director of Citizen Participation; and students from CECyTE 1 and CETMAR 36.