Two-Thirds of Cozumel Councilors Boycott Session, Halting Key Votes

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — A scheduled city council session collapsed Wednesday after six of nine councilors failed to attend, leaving Mayor José Luis Chacón Méndez without a quorum to discuss the closure of the 2025 Annual Investment Program and modifications to the 2026 budget.

Only five of the 11 council members were present: Mayor Chacón, municipal trustee Daniela Ayala, and councilors Carmen Zúñiga, Ana Arana, and Raquel Paredes. The absentees included both opposition and Morena party councilors, signaling internal disagreements over public works spending.

Mayor Chacón declared the session void and rescheduled it for 11 a.m. on Friday, July 31. He warned that absentees would face legal consequences if they failed to attend.

“The law is clear: it is the obligation of all council members to hold two ordinary sessions per month,” Chacón said. “Six members submitted justifications — four citing personal reasons and two claiming illness. We expect them to explain their absence at the next session.”

Items on the agenda that could not be addressed included the closure of the 2025 Annual Investment Program, the modification of the 2026 program, and a proposed increase in support for local fishermen from 1.5 million to 2 million pesos. Also postponed were two private-sector sanitation proposals and funding for the Craadyr Community Mental Health and Addiction Center.

The mayor warned that if the six councilors fail to show up Friday, he will pursue legal sanctions as provided by law.