Tren Maya Environmental Studies Released Too Late

Playa del Carmen, Q. Roo — The Mexican government under President Claudia Sheinbaum has made public the environmental impact studies for 18 complementary works of the Tren Maya, which were carried out without prior authorization. These documents had been withheld under the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who in 2021 issued a decree allowing the bypassing of permits and regulations for priority infrastructure projects, including the controversial railway.

Construction Proceeded Under Provisional Authorizations

The decree, later invalidated by Mexico’s Supreme Court in 2023 following a constitutional challenge by the now-defunct National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Personal Data Protection (INAI), permitted the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) to proceed with construction. The environmental impact assessments (MIAs) were submitted to the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) both before and after the court’s ruling, but the agency kept them undisclosed until March of this year—long after the works were completed and the Tren Maya began operations.

In early April, Semarnat head Alicia Bárcena announced during a press conference that the Sheinbaum administration would seek to mitigate the environmental damage caused by the railway’s construction. However, the delayed release of the MIAs effectively nullified any legal challenges, despite widespread ecological harm to the Yucatán Peninsula’s rainforest. Environmentalists, who had filed unsuccessful injunctions against the project, criticized the government for sending “mixed signals.”

Environmentalists Decry Irreversible Damage

The studies, obtained by Proceso, reveal that the complementary infrastructure—including roads, stations, and maintenance facilities—was built without proper environmental oversight. Critics argue that the lack of transparency and adherence to legal procedures has resulted in irreversible damage to one of Mexico’s most biodiverse regions.

The Tren Maya, a flagship project of López Obrador’s presidency, has faced scrutiny for its ballooning costs and environmental consequences. Originally budgeted at a fraction of its final expenditure, the railway’s construction proceeded under provisional authorizations, with full environmental reviews only conducted retroactively.

Legal and Ecological Fallout

The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down López Obrador’s decree marked a significant legal rebuke, but by then, much of the damage had already been done. The Sheinbaum administration’s belated release of the MIAs has further fueled accusations of negligence and disregard for environmental protections.

Environmental groups continue to demand accountability, insisting that future projects adhere to legal and ecological safeguards. Meanwhile, the Tren Maya remains operational, its legacy entangled in legal disputes and ongoing debates over sustainable development.