Quintana Roo Governor Praises Mexican Army as Pillar of Security and Development

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa praised the Mexican Army as a cornerstone of security and development in Quintana Roo during a ceremony marking the 113th anniversary of the military branch.

Speaking at the National Guard facility in Ciudad Mujeres, located on the mainland near Isla Mujeres, Lezama highlighted the strategic importance of the armed forces in a state that serves as both a border region and an international tourism hub. “Quintana Roo is a border, in Chetumal, the beautiful capital where Mexico begins, but it is also the Caribbean,” she said. “We are tourist destinations, with Cancún as the most important in Latin America. We are the World Capital of Vacations, the door where Mexico opens to the world, and there is the Army, protecting us, guarding us, defending us.”

The event, led by Brigadier General Fidel Mondragón Rivero, commander of the 34th Military Zone, emphasized the Army and Navy’s role in safeguarding sovereignty along coasts, skies, and highways, as well as ensuring peace in the Mexican Caribbean, Latin America’s premier tourist destination.

Lezama noted that beyond their constitutional security duties, the armed forces have played a key role in transforming the state through major infrastructure projects. She specifically cited the construction of the Maya Train, which she said marks a turning point for communities in the southern and central parts of the state by integrating them into tourism development under a shared prosperity model.

Military engineers oversaw the railway project and complementary initiatives that enhance connectivity and tourism offerings, the governor added. She also highlighted their work on the long-awaited Tulum International Airport, which now drives economic growth in the south, and the construction of hotels linked to the Maya Train route.

Lezama further recognized the Army’s response to recent hurricanes and tropical storms, where federal personnel activated aid plans to protect residents, set up community kitchens, distribute supplies, clear debris, and restore roads. She praised the implementation of the DN-III-E Plan as a “network of extended hands” that supports families during emergencies and thanked the military for assisting state institutions like the DIF, headed by her sister Verónica Lezama.

“Behind every uniform there are personal sacrifices, long shifts, and the firm decision to fulfill duty,” Lezama stated, describing the Mexican Army as “uniformed citizens” with unwavering values, service vocation, and honor.

In his remarks, General Mondragón reflected on the Army’s origins and evolution, noting its constitutional creation on February 19, 1913, under President Venustiano Carranza. He affirmed that the military remains “uniformed and a friend of the people,” loyal and committed to inspiring trust and ensuring peace. “Trust that the Mexican Army will invariably proceed within the framework of legality and respect for human rights,” Mondragón said. “Expect from them the best disposition, courage, and bravery. The members of the Mexican Army are men and women who invariably look to the horizon where success, glory, and victory lie.”

The ceremony also included attendance from Brigadier General José Luis Rojas Martínez, state coordinator of the National Guard in Quintana Roo; Verónica Lezama Espinosa, honorary president of the Quintana Roo DIF system; Rear Admiral José Daniel Reséndiz Sandoval, commander of the Fifth Naval Region; Heyden Cebada Rivas, president of the Quintana Roo Superior Court of Justice; and Cristina Torres Gómez, Secretary of Government.

Other officials present were Ana Paty Peralta de la Peña, mayor of Benito Juárez; Deputy Renán Sánchez Tajonar, president of the Government and Political Coordination Board of the state legislature; Raciel López Salazar, State Prosecutor; Carlos Tobilla Padilla, head of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Quintana Roo; and Julio César Gómez Torres, Secretary of Citizen Security. Several municipal leaders from across the state also attended.