Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo — Communal landowners holding land around archaeological sites in southern Quintana Roo are still waiting for the federal government to release compensation and complete the necessary legal procedures, according to Alberto Alonso Ovando, head of the state’s Secretariat for Sustainable Territorial and Urban Development (Sedetus).
Ovando said the most advanced case involves the Sabidos ejido, which owns the land containing the Kohunlich archaeological zone. A third property appraisal has been completed and approved by the ejido assembly, and the payment amount has been accepted. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) now needs to request the funds from the federal Finance Secretariat.
The official acknowledged that the process could take time but said negotiations are well advanced.
In Bacalar, INAH has nearly finished assembling the case file, but an environmental impact statement still needs to be prepared before the process can move forward.
Ovando added that before the end of 2026, the secretariat will work with the Morocoy ejido to find a solution to the conflict over the Ichkabal archaeological site, one of the most historically significant sites in southern Quintana Roo.
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