Yum Balam Reserve Director’s Resignation Leaves Questions Unanswered After Nearly a Month

Chiquilá, Quintana Roo — Nearly a month after the director of the Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Reserve resigned, authorities have yet to provide an official explanation for his departure, leaving local communities frustrated and highlighting ongoing conflicts between landowners and environmental officials.

Francisco Remolina Suárez submitted his resignation as director of the protected area almost four weeks ago, but no formal statement has clarified the reasons behind his exit, according to Ignacio Cáceres Correa, former president of the Chiquilá ejido commission.

Cáceres Correa said Remolina Suárez acknowledged that during his tenure, he never held formal meetings with members of the advisory council, environmental groups, or landowners whose properties fall within the reserve’s boundaries. This lack of communication has perpetuated tensions between ejido communities and environmental authorities.

The Yum Balam reserve encompasses more than 20,000 hectares and includes lands belonging to agrarian communities such as the Chiquilá ejido and the Kantunilkín ejido. According to the former ejido leader, landowners have faced restrictions on using and benefiting from their properties without receiving direct support or concrete benefits, all within a context of environmental dialogue breakdown.

Regarding the director’s resignation, Cáceres Correa noted that various explanations have circulated. One points to personal interests while another suggests health issues related to the former official’s age. However, no official information has confirmed either version.

The former commissioner recalled that since 1994, when the reserve was established by decree, protests and demonstrations have occurred as ejidatarios considered their lands affected by inclusion in the protected area’s boundaries. “Real support for the people of the land, who are the true owners of those territories, never materialized,” he stated.

Cáceres Correa emphasized that environmental authorities must maintain permanent communication with landowners and involved sectors to address the conflict between ejidos and the natural protected area, particularly following the director’s resignation and with no replacement announced to date.

The conflict between ejido communities and environmental authorities dates back to 1994, when the reserve was established by decree, and continues without formal dialogue mechanisms.