El Cuyo, Yucatan — Residents of the coastal community of El Cuyo removed and burned a metal fence that had been installed across Calle 4 on Avenida Veraniega, blocking a path historically used as public access to the beach. The action followed a community assembly where residents voted to defend the passage.
The conflict began on Saturday, July 18, when a private individual fenced off the area, claiming it was part of a private property backed by a deed. The closure sparked outrage among neighbors, who said the road had been used for years for daily transit and beach access.
During an extraordinary meeting attended by residents, ejido representatives, municipal authorities, and members of the El Cuyo Community Committee, ejido members stated they had no knowledge of any agrarian documents authorizing the sale, transfer, or removal of the space from community patrimony.
After the assembly, a group of residents went to the site, dismantled the fence, set it on fire, and placed signs reading “Access to the beach.” The Community Committee said the actions were agreed upon to protect free transit and common-use spaces, though it reiterated that they would continue to defend the area through peaceful means and legal channels.
The community has called on the National Institute of Sustainable Land and other relevant authorities to present documentation clarifying the legal status of the land. It also asserted the collective rights of El Cuyo as a Maya indigenous community and said it would remain organized to prevent the privatization of spaces it considers part of its communal life and traditional access to the sea.
