Maya Train Station Chief Faces Harassment Claims

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo — A unified voice has emerged from feminist collectives and labor organizations in the state to denounce what they describe as an environment of "serious violations of human rights, labor rights, and integrity" within the operation of the Maya Train, particularly under the direction of station chief Jaime David Silva García.

The organizations are demanding a professional investigation, exemplary sanctions, and concrete mechanisms to guarantee the physical and emotional security of the complainants in the presence of federal and state authorities such as President Claudia Sheinbaum, Governor Mara Lezama, and the general director of the Maya Train, Óscar Lozano Águila.

According to the complaints, female workers have suffered humiliating and derogatory comments even directed at people with disabilities, explicit pressure to participate in social gatherings or make "donations," discrimination based on gender or for disagreeing with figures of power, as well as systematic labor mobbing.

One of the reported cases states that in a meeting, a joke was made about a colleague with a visual impairment: "Send a message to Selene to see if she sees it."

On another occasion, during a team photo on the Day of the Dead, the station chief allegedly said: "Those who are virgins should kneel."

Other complaints list comments about "trying out cameras" in the showers or mockery in response to a request for a monetary allowance.

The collective also denounces that internal complaints have been minimized by higher instances. After public exposure in local media, the affected individuals were allegedly summoned by the zone chief who not only discredited the testimonies but also allegedly threatened with dismissal or reprisals.

The complaints also point to favoritism, nepotism in promotions and arbitrary labor decisions, imposition of schedules without planning, and a work climate founded on intimidation.

Additionally, they warn that Silva García, with a military past, has exercised authority in a coercive tone, even suggesting that he could "shoot if necessary," which allegedly reinforced the perception of fear among those who work at the Maya Train stations.

THE ORGANIZATIONS DEMAND FROM FEDERAL AND STATE AUTHORITIES:

• An exhaustive, transparent, and independent investigation, with access to recordings, cameras, testimonies, and internal documents.
• Urgent protection measures for the complainants, including confidentiality and safeguarding their employment against reprisals.
• The immediate removal of the implicated station chief, as well as criminal or administrative sanctions if abuses are proven.
• A review of promotion processes, assignment of functions, and labor conditions, with clear criteria and audit mechanisms.
• Mandatory protocols against harassment, bullying, discrimination, and gender-based violence, with continuous training.
• Comprehensive reparations: legal, psychological, and labor support for those affected.

This call not only places the individual behavior of the station chief under scrutiny but also questions the institutional culture of the Maya Train. If a pattern is confirmed in multiple stations, as the complaints suggest, the implications could transcend into a crisis of legitimacy, not only for the flagship project of the federal government but for the integrity of the labor model it aims to project.

La Colectiva Foráneas Seguras is a community group from the Yucatán Peninsula dedicated to the defense and promotion of the human rights of communities in vulnerable situations, with an emphasis on women and people from other regions. The collective seeks to preserve and protect the cultural and territorial wealth of the Mayan people. Born from a feminist movement, it documents and denounces cases of gender-based and labor violence, demands protection measures and sanctions from authorities, promotes protocols against harassment, and provides training in human rights and interculturality. Furthermore, it offers legal and psychological accompaniment, promotes citizen participation, and maintains communication with media and public organizations to make visible the problems faced by its members.