Playa del Carmen Residents Say Gas Company Harassing Them

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Residents of the Villas del Sol neighborhood have reported ongoing harassment seven months after blocking a nearby liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) station. While not directly naming the gas company, the protesters claim they are being followed and surveilled by strangers.

Allegations of Intimidation

In interviews, affected residents—who declined to provide their names due to safety concerns—described unsettling encounters. One resident recounted an incident in which a security worker allegedly followed her and her child to school.

“I’ve felt in danger. I had to change my route when dropping my daughter off at school because once, a person working security here followed us all the way there. A neighbor noticed and warned me,” the resident said.

The protest began in October 2024 after residents discovered the construction of an LPG station near their homes, situated between CTM Avenue and Gorriones Street. The Playa del Carmen government later stated that the construction permit had been irregularly issued during the final days of former Mayor Lili Campos’s administration.

Legal Action and Ongoing Vigil

Local Civil Protection authorities shut down the site, and the municipal government filed a lesividad lawsuit to nullify the construction permit granted to Holbox Gas, the company linked to the project. The Fourth Ordinary and Specialized Chamber in Urban Development and Environmental Matters of Quintana Roo’s Administrative and Anti-Corruption Court issued a suspension in favor of the city, halting any activity at the site.

Despite the legal suspension, residents remain wary and have maintained a permanent protest camp for seven months. Some now allege they are facing pressure through harassment.

“I’ve felt like I’m being followed, even investigated about where I live,” another resident said.

The case continues under judicial review, with the latest procedural agreement in March 2024 (Case No. 27/2024/SO4-I) upholding the suspension against Holbox Gas.