Indigenous communities in the south of Mexico will get to have their say on the future of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s pet project, the Tren Maya, on December 15.
Voting on approval of the project will take place in 3,425 localities in five states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
Lopez Obrador said he will abide by the decision made by citizens.
The tourist/passenger/cargo train route will run 900 miles all the way around the Yucatan peninsula, connecting Cancun and the Riviera Maya with more remote tourist attractions (including Palenque) at a cost of around US$8 billion.
The president believes the route will prove to be en economic boon to this marginalized region of Mexico, which has a population of 4.5 million.
Lopez Obrador held a “referendum” on the project in November 2018, shortly before he took office. The result was an overwhelming “yes” in favor of the project, but the process was criticized because less than three percent of the region’s population participated.
Various environmental groups have slammed the project for the negative impact the train route will have on the flora and fauna in this region’s pristine rain forest. Indigenous communities have expressed mixed feelings, with some fearing the influx of tourism will further erode their traditional way of life, while others are concerned that they will be displaced from their homes.
The planning stages of the Tren Ligero project are well advanced. López Obrador insists the government won’t need to borrow money to complete the work, and says funding will largely come from “savings” the federal government has made by reducing bureaucracy since he came into office more than a year ago.