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Yucatán Las Dunas protests and federal judicial suspension

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2026-08-12 20:45 UTC → 2026-08-25 03:07 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Yucatán Las Dunas protests and ~~Profepa shutdown~~ federal judicial suspension

In late July 2026, residents of Chuburná and the group Salvemos las Dunas protested the Las Dunas tourism project after heavy equipment began clearing protective sand dunes. Activists argued the dunes shield the shoreline, prevent erosion, and support local biodiversity, urging the state to ask federal agencies (Semarnat and Profepa) to verify permits. A march in Mérida on 29 July accused developer Designia Desarrollos and owner Víctor Manuel Abraham Palomo of benefiting from a corruption network involving state, municipal, and federal officials. Profepa placed closure seals on the site the same day, suspending construction. On 31 July, Movimiento Ciudadano filed a popular complaint citing threats to 271 species, including the endangered hawksbill turtle, and alleged violations of the Mexican Constitution and the Escazú Agreement. Inspections from 28–30 July documented the removal of 1.3 ha of vegetation—about 30.8% of the authorized land-use change—and the presence of protected species like the endangered cactus Mammillaria gaumeri and the scissor-tailed hummingbird, which were omitted from the project's impact statement. Profepa ordered a total temporary shutdown on 2 August and opened an administrative proceeding for possible breaches of the General Law for Sustainable Forest Development. In early August, former Yucatán Secretary of Sustainable Development Sayda Rodríguez Gómez denied issuing permits, stating authorization was a federal decision. Investigations identified businessman José Chapur Zahoul, president of Grupo Palace Resorts and chair of the state Beneficence Public Patrimony board, as a main shareholder. By mid-August, the controversy escalated politically; Rodríguez Gómez, now a PAN deputy, faced pressure because her signature appeared on state authorizations during her previous tenure, leading to reports that she may seek a leave of absence. On 24 August, a federal judge issued a provisional suspension against the project, halting construction and land-use licenses.

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