Residents From 17 Settlements Demand Answers on Land Regularization in Tulum

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Residents from at least 17 irregular settlements visited the offices of the Quintana Roo State Strategic Projects Agency (Agepro) in this municipality to demand information about the progress of land regularization for the properties they occupy, claiming the process has remained unclear since 2022.

According to the residents themselves, uncertainty about the legal status of the properties has persisted for several years, creating concern among families seeking certainty about ownership of the land where they live.

Guadalupe Martínez, a resident of one of the affected neighborhoods, explained that the visit to the agency’s offices aimed to obtain precise information about the status of the lots and learn whether the process could move forward toward signing contracts.

“We came to ask for information about the land, to know where we’re settled and if we can now proceed to make our contract. Since 2022 we submitted paperwork and they haven’t given us a proper response,” she said.

Approximately 126 families are settled in Martínez’s neighborhood. However, the problem isn’t limited to that sector, as according to residents, the situation affects hundreds of families distributed across about 17 irregular settlements in different areas of the municipality.

The residents explained that the lack of legal certainty represents various complications, since without formal land regularization, families face difficulties accessing basic services formally, as well as social programs or housing financing schemes.

According to collected testimonies, some neighborhoods in the municipality have already begun signing contracts and making corresponding payments for the lots; however, in other areas the process hasn’t shown progress.

“None of us have been called to sign yet, that’s why we’re gathered here,” Martínez stated.

The residents indicated they seek to meet with Didier, an official at the state agency, to obtain a direct explanation about the status of the regularization process.

Among the main concerns of residents is learning whether the land has already been cleared, how long the procedure might take, or if any legal impediment is delaying contract formalization.

The residents noted that, depending on the information they receive from the agency, they might consider other actions to pressure for a response, though they reiterated that their main demand is to have clear information and defined timelines to resolve their situation.

In a municipality marked by rapid population growth and tourism development, land regularization has become one of the main challenges for authorities and for hundreds of families seeking certainty about the property where they’ve established their homes.