Mexico launches Mayan Train railroad project, which causes controversy due to environmental reasons
Kyiv • UNN
Mexico's president inaugurated the first section of the Mayan Train project, which is being touted as an economic boon but is being criticized for potential environmental damage and indigenous concerns.
Operation of the of the first 500 kilometers of the "Maya Train" railway project, which will connect over 1,500 kilometers of track in five states of Mexico, was inaugurated by the president of on Friday. The project is still unfinished, and as Spiegel reports, "environmentalists and indigenous people are sounding the alarm about the unpredictable environmental consequences. This is reported by UNN.
Details
Yesterday, in Mexico a section of the controversial Mayan train was inaugurated. In general, the project envisages a large route along the Yucatan Peninsula, which will connect Caribbean tourist resorts with the sites of the famous Mayan pyramids and southern Mexico through five federal states.
The government claims that the train will lure more tourists and investment to the region. The United Nations Development Office estimates that by 2030, it will lift 1.1 million people out of poverty. poverty.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador spoke during the opening on Friday of the "masterpiece" that was built "in record time" - in five years. The head of state also rode in one of the white and green cars during the during the train's maiden voyage.
Environmental concerns
Despite large-scale plans for the infrastructure project, environmentalists and indigenous people do not see see no reason for optimism.
Non-governmental organizations have noted the potential environmental impact. They fear impacts on animals, underground rivers, and the famous karst caves known as cenotes, in the region. Another concern is that the railroad tracks will cross the Mayan Forest, the second largest tropical forest in Latin America. America.
These [railroad lines] are artificial boundaries for species such as jaguars. (...) And they are so wide - more than 60 meters - that they are also a border for some seeds and spores
Environmental activists have even even went to court to temporarily halt the project. But the government appealed this decision, and the President of Mexico finally classified the construction work as a matter of "national security" by his decree. construction works as a matter of "national security". The work resumed under the supervision of the army, Spiegel writes.
Reference
The Mayan train is is the largest infrastructure project of the current government. In the future, it is planned to to transport up to three million tourists a year from resorts on the coast to Mayan ruins Mayan ruins in five federal states. The railroad network will also be able to run freight and regular passenger trains.
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