Quintana Roo Ejido Landholders Lift Highway Blockade After Securing New Land Appraisal

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Communal landholders from the ejidos of Ramonal and Sacxan lifted their blockade of the Chetumal–Escárcega highway at midnight Wednesday after federal officials agreed to carry out a new appraisal of the land used to build the highway toward Campeche.

The protesters had shut down the highway near the community of Francisco Villa for more than ten hours while their representatives negotiated in Mexico City. The landholders said they rejected the government’s original compensation offer of 700,000 pesos, calling it paltry.

“Now we are going to see an appraisal of all the ejidos together, and we hope it will be settled within a month” so that payment can be made for the use of the land, the representatives said.

The ejido Sergio Butrón Casas has now joined the talks alongside Ramonal and Sacxan, according to the representatives.

The landholders warned they will join a nationwide demonstration if they do not receive an answer before the end of October. The National Transporters Association (ANTAC) has called the national protest for Oct. 27.

They added that communities across Othón P. Blanco municipality are also facing economic hardship, and they welcomed contacts with business owners who may be able to launch projects in the area.

ANTAC’s national leadership said the negotiations also secured a commitment from authorities to crack down on extortion of truck drivers by police forces. The group also announced plans for a health caravan and for addressing agricultural problems, particularly a plague affecting sugarcane.