This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
Published on December 17, 2019, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known as AMLO, has announced that his ambitious Maya Train project has won overwhelming support from the country's indigenous communities.
The $6.2-billion project aims to link Caribbean resorts such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen with ancient Mayan archaeological sites such as Palenque and Chichen Itza, passing through the impoverished interior of southeastern Mexico.
According to official results from a referendum on the issue, 93,142 Mexicans voted in favor of the project, representing 92.3% of the vote.
"There is a generalized consensus, unanimous, in support of building and implementing the Maya Train program," said Adelfo Regino, head of Mexico's National Indigenous Peoples' Institute.
However, the project has faced resistance from activists and some indigenous communities over the lack of clarity on the environmental impact.
President Lopez Obrador has acknowledged that many indigenous communities also demanded attention for more pressing issues, such as schools, health centers, roads, and protection of their environment and archaeological sites.
The government has announced that the first tender for the project will be launched in early January.
