Zona Maya Bids Farewell to Daysi Pech and Néstor Poot as Calls for Justice Intensify

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo — Mourners gathered before dawn Tuesday to say goodbye to Daysi Pech and Néstor Poot, the two young people gunned down Monday on a highway near Bacalar, as demands for justice grew in the Zona Maya.

Daysi Pech, 26, and Néstor Poot Poot, 29, were killed in an armed attack on the Buena Vista-Bacalar stretch of Federal Highway 307. Unofficial reports attribute the shooting to members of the Cartel de Caborca, a criminal group active in the region.

Pech’s body was taken to Felipe Carrillo Puerto in the early hours of Tuesday. A wake began at her home on Calle 51, between Avenida Constituyentes and Calle 76, in the Infonavit neighborhood. Relatives, friends, and neighbors began arriving around 4 a.m. to pay their respects.

Poot’s wake was held separately. Both victims were well known in the municipality: Pech was a nutritionist and health promoter, while Poot was a young worker. Dozens of people have expressed condolences and solidarity with their families.

According to reports, the victims were traveling with relatives when gunmen chased and opened fire on their pickup truck. The driver lost control and the vehicle overturned. Three other people, including a minor, were wounded and remain under medical care.

Prosecutors suspect the group was returning from Chetumal after a movie when they were intercepted. The State Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation to determine a motive and identify those responsible.

The killings have sparked outrage, with some residents accusing authorities of inaction and alleged ties to organized crime. Relatives of the victims say those in the truck tried calling the 911 emergency line at least 60 times during the attack but never received a response. The unanswered calls have intensified suspicions of complicity beyond simple negligence.

In an official statement, the Felipe Carrillo Puerto city council offered its condolences: “We deeply lament the passing of Daysi Pech and Néstor Poot. We join the grief of their families and loved ones, wishing them strength and comfort.”