Various parts of Quintana Roo are experiencing roadblocks following a series of eviction operations carried out by state authorities. In Tulum, residents of the Tren Maya neighborhood are blocking federal highway 307 Tulum-Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The demonstration began after an early morning operation carried out by the State Attorney General’s Office, in which dozens of homes were demolished and several people were arrested or injured.
Since early this morning, the road has been closed due to burning tires, creating long lines of vehicles in both directions.
Visibility has been severely affected by the smoke, hampering any type of vehicular traffic and forcing motorists and truckers to wait for hours.
Protesters have placed obstacles and positioned themselves on the road with tools, even preventing the passage of emergency vehicles.
Residents of the settlement report that the eviction operation was carried out without prior notice or relocation alternatives. They maintain that many of the occupants lack documentation proving ownership of the land, but claim they have lived in the area for several years. They accuse the authorities of using excessive force and allegedly favoring the transfer of the land to outsiders. Among those arrested were minors who were present during the eviction.
Tensions remain high in the region, and other areas of the state have replicated the protest. In the Mahahual-Cafetal section, residents completely blocked the highway, demanding similar eviction actions from the Attorney General’s Office. Access to communities such as Mahahual, Xcalak, and Ubero has been blocked since mid-morning, impacting both residents and visitors.
The protesters are demanding that the authorities provide a solution that includes social support mechanisms and regularization proposals for those who have settled in these settlements.
The lack of alternatives and the perception of arbitrary operations have increased social discontent in various sectors of Quintana Roo; while the blockades continue, traffic and economic activity in the region are severely disrupted.
Among the versions of those affected, they report that the evictions are being carried out to grant their land to foreign residents. Although there is no complete certainty, it may exacerbate the tensions existing in the country due to the phenomenon of gentrification or the series of confrontations that have occurred during the construction of the Mayan Train, which also involved the expropriation of land.
Source: infobae
