Calica’s 3-Year Shutdown in Playa del Carmen Stands

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Three years have passed since the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) imposed a shutdown on Calica, marking the end of the company’s stone material extraction activities south of Playa del Carmen. The legal action remains in effect, with little chance of reversal as the company has lost three lawsuits in 2025 alone.

Legal Battles and Compensation Claims

Calica, owned by the U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company, is seeking compensation exceeding $1.5 billion, along with interest and legal fees, for closures enforced during the administration of former President Enrique Peña Nieto.

On May 2, 2022, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) stated that the transnational company continued extracting limestone despite an alleged prior agreement to cease operations. Days later, on May 6, Profepa inspectors, accompanied by Mexican Navy personnel, arrived at the company’s premises and placed a closure seal that remains in place today.

Judicial Rulings Uphold Closure

Federal judges and magistrates have consistently ruled against Calica’s attempts to regain control of its land. In 2025, the Second District Court of Quintana Roo denied the company’s appeals in two indirect amparo cases (974/2024 and 258/2024).

Additionally, the Metropolitan Chamber of the Federal Court of Administrative Justice upheld the transfer of seven maritime terminals to the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo). Judges have maintained that Calica’s private interests cannot outweigh collective environmental concerns, citing severe damage to the aquifer caused by its operations.

International Arbitration Stalled

The company’s international arbitration case, filed under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), has also stalled.

Environmental Protections Remain in Place

Calica’s land, spanning approximately 2,200 hectares, remains restricted under the Flora and Fauna Conservation Area decree issued by AMLO in September 2024. President Claudia Sheinbaum has reiterated that the company will not resume mining activities.

The legal and environmental measures signal a definitive end to Calica’s operations in the region, with no indication of reversal in the foreseeable future.