A person speaking into a microphone, heavy machinery working in a deforested area, and a jaguar lying on the ground. — Alicia Bárcena, head of Semarnat, acknowledged the irreversible damage | La Derecha Diario

Camara — Alicia Bárcena, head of Semarnat, acknowledged the irreversible damage | La Derecha Diario

Five years later, Morena acknowledged the irreversible damage of the Maya Train to the jungle.

Alicia Bárcena, head of SEMARNAT and a staunch supporter of AMLO, acknowledged the irreversible damage of the Mayan train to the jungle

04/04/2025 09:40:00h

Editorial Team

It took them a while but finally, the Morenista government has acknowledged the ecological disaster that was the Maya Train five years after its construction. The whim of AMLO operates with 1% of its own income and 99% government subsidies, that is, our money.

The current head of Semarnat, Alicia Bárcena, acknowledged that the megaproject of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador caused severe damage to the Mayan jungle.

They had to announce an environmental restoration plan.

In light of this situation, the government had to announce an environmental restoration plan. This plan would include the possible declaration of a protected natural area in the cave and cenote system of Quintana Roo.

Semarnat and the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) are evaluating turning this area into a biosphere reserve.

A railway under construction surrounded by vegetation and support poles.

More than 10,000 hectares of the Mayan jungle were deforested | La Derecha Diario

Marina Robles García, Undersecretary of Biodiversity emphasized that the responsibility to pay for the restoration falls on those who executed the work, that is, the government itself.

Among the mitigation actions are the improvement of wildlife crossings and the removal of unnecessary fences that impede the free movement of species. They will also review the creation of secondary roads caused by the construction of the Maya Train.

A train moving along a track surrounded by dense vegetation under a cloudy sky.

Ecological damage is irreversible | La Derecha Diario

The peninsula faces more logistical challenges

However, the environmental damage caused by the train is not the only problem facing the Yucatán Peninsula.

Semarnat also seeks to regulate the uncontrolled expansion of the pork industry,deforestation driven by Mennonite communities and the disorderly growth of the real estate sector. Additionally, it has been identified that waste management and wastewater are another critical challenge in the region.

A train at a station with people sitting inside and a guard standing at the door.

The Maya Train operates with 1% of its own revenue and 99% taxpayer money | La Derecha Diario

The federal government is now obliged to implement a reforestation plan led by Conafor. It would have a special emphasis on the recovery of degraded mangroves and productive restoration for local communities.

Sergio Graf Montero, director of Conafor, assured that these actions aim to repair the environmental damage. It also aims to generate economic benefits for the landowners affected.

A black monolithic structure is located inside a cave surrounded by stalactites and rocks.

The vibrations from the Maya Train destroy the underground caves | La Derecha Diario

Morena admitted its ineffectiveness in executing the Maya Train.

Despite the announced efforts, the lack of foresight and planning of the Morena government in executing the Maya Train is evident. We are talking about a project that from its inception was criticized by specialists due to its environmental impact.

Now, the same government acknowledges the damage caused and seeks to remedy the damage, although without a clear strategy to ensure effective and sustained restoration over time.

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