Puerto Morelos, Q.R. — A local environmental group has won an injunction against a real estate company for encroaching on protected land. Defending the Right to a Healthy Environment (DMAS) won their court battle last week.
The legal challenge filed by the DMAS association has put a halt on construction of the Aluxe real estate project in Puerto Morelos. Building permits were annulled after the company was found building outside their permitted zone.
An inspection last year found construction on a protected area of mangroves of the Puerto Morelos Protected Natural Area.
The legal resolution was announced by DMAS lawyer Irma Morales Cruz, who explained that the legal action is part of ongoing efforts to challenge projects being developed in areas near sensitive coastal ecosystems.
The case centers on a residential complex with 44 apartments, the construction of which has drawn criticism due to its location within an area linked to the Puerto Morelos wetlands.
According to the information presented, the project had previously received a negative environmental impact assessment from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) in January of this year.
That decision stopped continuation of the project due to concerns regarding its environmental effects. However, despite this precedent, on June 24, 2025, the Quintana Roo Ministry of the Environment (SEMA) granted a state authorization allowing the reactivation of construction.
The Aluxe condo complex is located near an area of high ecological value at the entrance to the coastal area of Puerto Morelos. This area comprises wetlands associated with the mangrove ecosystem, a space that is home to diverse species of flora and fauna characteristic of the Mexican Caribbean and forms part of an environmental network considered strategic for the conservation of the municipality’s natural resources.
The company is still able to legally submit additional information, and addressing observations within the administrative procedures required to obtain permits.
