Tampico City Council approves land transfer for Laguna del Carpintero hotel

The Tampico City Council has approved the removal of approximately 26,292 square meters of municipal land from its assets to facilitate a hotel development project at Laguna del Carpintero. The decision, led by Mayor Mónica Villarreal Anaya, involves donating the land to the Tamaulipas state government to support a planned five-star hotel investment estimated at $36 million.

Proponents of the project, including City Council Secretary Carlos Alberto García Porres, argue the development will boost the local economy by generating an annual revenue of 1.2 billion pesos, attracting 13,000 additional tourists per year, and creating jobs. They maintain the land represents only 2.8% of the municipality's total holdings in the lagoon area.

The session was marked by protests from the environmental collective ‘Salvemos la Laguna’, which resulted in a broken window in the council chamber. Critics and environmental reports have raised concerns regarding the project's legality and environmental impact, noting that previous excavation work in the area was identified by Profepa as being in flood-prone zones and lacking proper documentation.