Las Dunas real estate project in Yucatán faces scrutiny as ex‑secretary Sayda Rodríguez denies issuing permits

Former Yucatán Secretary of Sustainable Development Sayda Rodríguez Gómez said she did not grant any permits for the Las Dunas tourist‑resort project in Chuburná Puerto, asserting that the authorization was a federal decision made by the current administration. She noted that her agency only provided a technical opinion when consulted by the federal authority.

The federal environmental agency Profepa ordered a total temporary shutdown of the construction after detecting damage to protected flora, violations of environmental‑condition clauses, improper waste handling and removal of vegetation over roughly 1.3 hectares.

Investigations revealed that the project's main shareholder is businessman José Chapur Zahoul, president of Grupo Palace Resorts, who also chairs the state Beneficence Public Patrimony board, a position appointed by Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena. The state agency IMDUT issued an urban‑environmental feasibility report that enabled SEMARNAT to grant a conditional construction permit in April 2025. Critics also point to coastal‑zoning changes made during former Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal’s term.