Communities in Chiapas approve controversial highway linking San Cristóbal de las Casas with Palenque

A arguable road successful Chiapas whose operation has been delayed for astir 20 years has received the go-ahead aft residents of 5 municipalities approved the task via a nonbinding referendum, the authorities politician announced.

On Monday morning, Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar announced the results successful a societal media post, saying “The road is ours! The Route of the Maya Cultures has been approved by the people!” 

Nearly 40,000 residents of the municipalities of Palenque, Ocosingo, Chilón, Salto de Agua and Tumbalá voted successful favour of the road betwixt San Cristóbal and Palenque, Chiapas. (@ramirezlalo_/X)

Ramírez thanked the nationalist for their information during “an exemplary time of voting” connected Sunday, adding that the road was approved with 39,321 votes successful favour and lone 919 against.

The road volition link the erstwhile authorities capital, San Cristóbal de las Casas, with the municipality of Palenque, known arsenic the gateway to past Mayan ruins. Palenque, founded successful 1567 and populated chiefly by Indigenous Maya communities, is besides the location of erstwhile President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024).

Residents of the municipalities of Palenque, Ocosingo, Chilón, Salto de Agua and Tumbalá took portion successful a nationalist consultation organized by the authorities government. Approval was sought lone for the conception of the road betwixt Palenque and Ocosingo. 

State officials said that ballots were provided successful Spanish, arsenic good arsenic successful the Indigenous languages of tzeltal and chol truthful arsenic to “promote the afloat information of each those who privation to marque their voices heard.”

As stipulated by Mexico’s constitution, nationalist consultations are required immoderate clip the authorities plans to instrumentality legislative oregon administrative measures affecting the country’s Indigenous groups and their land. 

The caller road would regenerate Highway 199 which originates successful the cardinal highlands and traverses the jungle successful the northeast portion of the state. Ocosingo is lone 68 kilometers southbound of Palenque, but Highway 199 winds its mode done the jungle for 119 kilometers to scope Palenque.

The aged road besides connects Ocosingo to San Cristóbal de las Casas to the southwest, but it takes astir 2 and a fractional hours to thrust the 95 kilometers.

Opponents of Chiapas road task decry demolition of land, culture

Since the task was archetypal presented astir 2 decades ago, successive authorities and national governments person defended the road by saying it would supply economical benefits to the poorest parts of the state.

(Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)

“We are afloat committed to the radical of Chiapas,” Governor Ramírez said successful February. “We privation to amended connectivity and, astatine the aforesaid time, assistance those who astir request help, particularly those who are astir vulnerable.”

Ahead of Sunday’s nationalist consultation, Ramírez added that the road would stay successful nationalist hands and that determination would beryllium nary backstage concessions granted.

Critics of the long-delayed road proposal reason that operation volition destruct the situation and portion section residents of their onshore and its resources. They besides assertion that residents person not been afloat informed astir the connection and its consequences.

Last month, the determination enactment Movement successful Defense of Life and Land (Modevite), which has been campaigning against the task for 12 years, published a missive it had submitted to the authorities government successful which it described the task arsenic different illustration of “colonialism and racism that favors transnational interests, extractivism, cause cartels and the government.”

Modevite said that portion it was not opposed to the conception of progress, “we are against the usurpation of our rights; [we are] against imposition and authoritarianism that benefits the fewer successful and harms the onshore that has been the root of beingness for our peoples.”

In contrast, the Ocosingo-based autobus institution Grupo Único Cotaco, voiced enactment for the road project, calling it “an important measurement toward modernization and determination development” that would boost tourism and payment the section economy.

With reports from La Jornada, Quadratín Chiapas, Proceso and Diario de Chiapas