Southeast Mexico’s Bacalar Lagoon. Photo: Google

By KELIN DILLON

Following a report from environmental organization Greenpeace, Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) is facing backlash for its construction activities near Southeast Mexico’s Bacalar Lagoon in yet another environmental controversy associated with the development of the Tren Maya.

Known as the “Lagoon of Seven Colors,” Bacalar is approximately 40 kilometers from Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo. 

After the Sedena’s recent actions, Greenpeace issued a stark warning claiming that the military has commenced construction within the federal zone of the lagoon without proving it holds the proper environmental authorizations. 

Locals have also begun protesting the project, filing a complaint with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa) to halt construction that is reportedly already impacting the lagoon’s delicate ecosystem. 

Despite the outcry, Greenpeace notes that neither Profepa nor the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) has acted to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

Critics argue that the Mexican government is leveraging national security justifications because of the Sedena’s involvement as a way to sidestep environmental law, something it has done multiple times over the years-long development of the project.

Additionally, the federal administration has reportedly disregarded court orders prohibiting the construction of the Tren Maya and other projects that jeopardize the region’s natural landscape. 

These actions have led to the deforestation of over 11,000 hectares and the contamination of numerous cenotes by concrete runoff.

 Moreover, the military has constructed six hotels near railroad crossing areas, but specific details regarding their environmental impact and remediation measures remain undisclosed.

 The Tren Maya, initially championed during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) administration, continues to advance under current President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has unveiled plans to transform it into a freight line, a venture that will demand an estimated investment of 48 billion pesos.