The Mayan Train could affect the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico, experts warn

The Mayan Train, a government megaproject with private participation seeks to promote development and tourism in five states in the southeast of the country. Human rights specialists warn that it would jeopardize the guarantees of the original communities to the land, natural resources, and the environment. And they ask that these peoples be included in decision-making.

Nine special rapporteurs and a UN human rights working group warned this Wednesday that the Mayan Train could endanger the rights of indigenous peoples and other communities to land and natural resources, cultural rights, and the right to a healthy and sustainable environment.

The Mayan Train is a mega-project of the Mexican government with the participation of the private sector that includes 1,500 kilometers of railways laid across the Yucatan peninsula and the two states of the Tehuantepec isthmus, in the southeast of the country, and that seeks to reduce the times and freight and passenger transport costs to promote development and boost the tourism industry.

National Security Project

In a joint statement, the experts stressed that since the government has elevated the Mayan Train to the category of a national security project, it can derogate the application of environmental and social safeguards, and affirmed that this classification does not allow Mexico to evade its international obligations to respect the human rights of the people affected and to protect the environment.

“This decision not only has the potential to allow human rights abuses to go unaddressed but also undermines the purpose of the project to bring inclusive and sustainable social and economic development to the five Mexican states involved,” Fernanda said. Hopenhaym, Chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

Hopenhaym added that the increasing involvement of the military in the construction and management of the project also “raises great concern.”

The rapporteurs stated that human rights defenders who have pointed out the project’s negative impacts face threats and attacks, and stressed that their access to an independent and impartial tribunal is limited.

Indigenous Participation

“As a state-led project, the Mexican government should take additional steps to ensure respect for human rights and the environment,” they stressed.

In this sense, they asked the government to guarantee the substantive participation of the affected communities and called for transparency in the evaluations of human rights and environmental impact before making any future decision related to the Mayan Train, with the intention of preventing any other negative effect.

The experts stressed that the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples must be respected and that the actual and potential cumulative impacts of projects must be transparently assessed, as established by international human rights and environmental standards.

The Private Sector Cannot Turn a Blind Eye

Regarding the companies -some of them transnationals- and private investors in the project of $20 billion dollars, the rapporteurs showed great concern for the lack of diligence regarding human rights and urged them to take provisions and exert their influence to guarantee the exercise of the fundamental guarantees of the inhabitants of the five states involved.

“Relevant companies and investors domiciled in Spain, the United States and China cannot turn a blind eye to the serious human rights problems related to the Mayan Train project,” the experts emphasized.

    The Mayan Train, a government megaproject with private participation seeks to promote development and tourism in five states in the southeast of the country . . .

    Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



    Trending News on PVDN

    • tropical-storm-flossie-hurricane-mexico-pacific-coastTropical Storm Flossie to Strengthen into Hurricane as It Tracks Along Mexico’s Pacific Coast Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane by July 2 as it moves parallel to Mexico’s Pacific coast, bringing dangerous rainfall, wind, and surf. Tropical Storm Flossie is on the verge of forming from Tropical Depression Six-E and is forecast to strengthen rapidly into a hurricane as it parallels Mexico’s southwestern…
    • hurricane-flossie-strengthens-july-1-2025Hurricane Flossie will bring tropical storm conditions to parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco Hurricane Flossie intensifies off Mexico's Pacific coast with winds near 90 mph. Heavy rain, flooding, and tropical storm conditions expected in parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco. Hurricane Flossie continued to intensify early Tuesday morning as it moved west-northwestward off the coast of southwestern Mexico, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across multiple states.…
    • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
    • tropical-storm-flossie-mexico-coast-rain-surf-alertCabo Corrientes under tropical storm watch as Flossie expected to Bring Heavy Rain and Dangerous Surf to Southwestern Mexico Tropical Storm Flossie is forecast to strengthen and may impact Mexico's southwest coast from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes with heavy rain, flooding, and hazardous surf early this week. Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to deliver heavy rains, gusty winds, and dangerous surf conditions to Mexico’s southwestern coast in the coming days, prompting authorities to issue…
    • tropical-storm-flossie-strengthens-mexico-june-2025Tropical Storm Flossie Strengthens Off Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Could Become Hurricane by Tuesday Tropical Storm Flossie gains strength off southwestern Mexico, with hurricane status possible by Tuesday. Storm warnings issued from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula. Tropical Storm Flossie continues to gain strength off Mexico’s Pacific coastline, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across several southwestern states. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Flossie is expected…
    • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
    • cancun-beach-cleanup-sargassumMassive Beach Cleanup to Combat Sargassum in Cancun After a week of the Cancun’s tourism department denying sargassum existed and insisting media photos were fakes, over 600 public servants and volunteers joined the first simultaneous beach cleanup. In a bold step toward environmental preservation and tourism sustainability, Cancun's Municipal President Ana Paty Peralta led the city’s first simultaneous beach cleanup effort this week.…
    • oregon-murder-fugitive-extradited-puerto-vallartaFugitive Wanted for 2008 Oregon Homicide Captured in Puerto Vallarta and Extradited to U.S. Jesús Rodríguez Borrayo, a fugitive for 17 years, was extradited from Mexico to Oregon for his role in a 2008 drive-by shooting that left one dead. He was located in Puerto Vallarta. A man wanted for murder and other violent crimes in the United States for nearly two decades has been extradited after being found…
    • cancun-2025-sargassum-beaches-and-activitiesSargassum won’t ruin your Cancun vacation, there are plenty of clean beaches and tourist activities As the 2025 sargassum season continues through September, visitors to Cancun can still enjoy clear beaches like Playa Delfines and Playa Caracol. As the 2025 sargassum season intensifies across Quintana Roo, tourists are finding it more difficult to enjoy the region’s iconic white-sand beaches without encountering the unsightly brown seaweed. While the influx of sargassum…
    • tropical-wave-7-floods-bacalar-chetumal-emergency-responseTropical Wave Floods Bacalar and Chetumal as Navy and Army Activate Emergency Plans Torrential rains from Tropical Wave 7 flood Bacalar and Chetumal, prompting emergency response from the Navy and Army. Several towns remain isolated in southern Quintana Roo. Torrential rains caused by Tropical Wave Number 7 have flooded multiple communities in southern Quintana Roo, prompting a joint emergency response from Mexico’s Navy and Army. Authorities activated their…
    Scroll to Top