Two nature reserves and a hotel complex, alternative projects to the Mayan Train: AMLO

Luis Boffi

Correspondent

Newspaper La Jornada
Saturday, November 12, 2022, p. 13

Mérida, Yuc., As part of the construction of the Mayan Train, several alternative projects are being developed in the region, including two new protected natural reserves and the construction of six hotels in key points that will be operated by the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena). ), reported President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

During his usual morning conference, this time offered at the Military Air Base number 8, based in this capital, he pointed out that the two new protected natural areas will be connected to the Mayan Train route. One is located in Calakmul, Campeche, with an extension of 1.5 million hectares, and another of 2,400 hectares that was recovered after a sale with trade in the vicinity of the archaeological zone of Uxmal, Yucatan.

In the first case, a unification is analyzed. We are going to increase the surface of the reserve, we are thinking that a state reserve is going to be combined with the federal one and we are going to have one million 500 thousand hectares of protected natural area in Calakmul, it is going to be something unique.

The recovered property near Uxmal he’s a bit shockedbut they are going to plant trees to turn it into a jungle. They had already sold it, the 2,400 hectares, I’m not so sure, but I think it’s 7 million, if it’s not 7, it’s 70, but in this case it’s the same, 2,400 hectares six kilometers from Uxmal, from the archaeological zone, so we recovered it, it was a trade to put it clearly.

With the morning in Mérida, a tour of the peninsula began to verify both natural areas and other points of the Mayan Train.

He also referred to a first stage of a hotel complex with six locations distributed along the railway project, which will be operated and managed by Sedena.

For this, there are already four properties of the six necessary to build the hotels, which are intended to be ready before the inauguration of the Train, in December 2023. They will be located in Nuevo Uxmal, Edzná and Calakmul, Campeche; in Tulum, Quintana Roo; in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, and in Palenque, Chiapas.

Speaking of the government airline, he said: “We are already dealing with Mexicana workers, both active and retired, and an agreement is already being sought for the new airline to be called Mexicana de Aviación again. That does not like our opponents, but this is not to taste, we have to move forward.

It is going to be acquired, an appraisal of the brand, the emblem, will be made, and a company will be created so that there are more flights and in this way the plane ticket does not increase so much.

He emphasized that given the difficulty of selling the presidential plane -purchased during Felipe Calderón’s six-year term-, it will be part of the fleet of the official airline and will be used for special trips.

Meanwhile, Javier May, general director of the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism, asserted that the Mayan Train is the main source of employment in the southeast, since it has generated 100,000 jobs for the construction of this work, in addition to 11,000 that have been created for the manufacture of the trains, in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo.

(With information from Emir Olivares)