President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador this week declared his Mayan Train project a matter of national security, clearing the way to sidestep many of the legal hurdles that are delaying construction on some stretches of the 1,400-kilometer tourist train line.
AMLO has become frustrated by the succession of legal challenges presented by environmental and other groups opposed to the project, many of them highlighting the lack of detailed impact studies required by law.
The train line runs though the states of Yucatan, Chiapas and Tabasco and is a key infrastructure initiative of AMLO’s administration. He insists that the line, which links the tourist centers of Cancun and Tulum with remoter parts of southern Mexico and some major archaeological sites, will provide jobs and boost the living standards of thousands of residents of some of the country’s most marginalized regions.
The federal government’s sustained media blitz stressing the benefits of the train line hasn’t deterred its detractors, who are well organized and have managed to persuade several judges to issue orders suspending work on the project. The latest ruling, issued in February, halted work on the stretch in the Yucatan between Cancun and Tulum.
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