Sheinbaum Halts Cozumel Pier to Protect Reefs

Mexico City — From the Senate of the Republic and with the backing of the Green Party, Renán Sánchez Tajonar publicly celebrated and acknowledged President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s decision to reject the construction of a fourth pier in Cozumel. The announcement was made during a press conference led by Karen Castrejón Trujillo, national leader of the Green Party and vice-coordinator of the parliamentary group in the Senate, alongside federal deputies’ coordinator Carlos Puente, Senator Virginia Magaña, and Quintana Roo Federal Deputy Juan Carrillo Soberanis.

Addressing the media, Deputy Renán Sánchez Tajonar emphasized the stance of Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama in promoting development, provided it remains sustainable.

“This is a victory for the people, for the residents of Cozumel who have spent years defending our reefs. Today, the federal government demonstrates that it listens and acts in favor of nature,” stated Sánchez Tajonar.

On May 7, during the Mañanera del Pueblo, President Sheinbaum was unequivocal: “No project that endangers Cozumel’s reefs will be permitted.” This position proved pivotal when the project’s suspension was officially announced on July 22.

“Mexico has a President who is scientific, consistent, and deeply committed to environmental causes. Without her leadership and sensitivity, this victory would not have been possible,” added Sánchez Tajonar.

As a Cozumel native and representative of the Green Party in Quintana Roo, he stressed that canceling the project not only protects the world’s second-largest reef system but also safeguards the livelihoods of thousands of families dependent on sustainable tourism.

“This is a collective triumph—of neighbors, activists, scientists, environmental organizations, and the Green Party in Quintana Roo, who brought this issue to the national agenda,” he affirmed.

Karen Castrejón Trujillo, national leader and vice-coordinator of the Green Party’s Senate parliamentary group, acknowledged: “Renán Sánchez Tajonar’s leadership and steadfast opposition were decisive in bringing the fourth pier issue to national attention.”

She added that this historic decision sends a clear message: in Quintana Roo and across Mexico, economic development and environmental protection can and must go hand in hand, guided by science, vision, and a commitment to the people.