Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The Eighth District Court in Cancun has rejected an injunction filed by American owned company Sac-Tun. The injunction was filed to prevent the federal government from declaring its land a Protected Natural Area.
The company filed the injunction several weeks ago. The judge considered the request inadmissible since there is no decree declaration, so no object to fight for.
The legal battle heightened after the Government of Mexico published its intention to carry out a study to decree the land protected in November. On December 8, that public consultation will end and could see the government declare the land as a Natural Protected Area.
On that event, the government could then declare the expropriation of the land.
According to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the objective is for the declaration to be ready before the end of his government to prevent further limestone extraction in this area of the municipality of Solidaridad.
The land, which is south of Playa del Carmen, is owned by the company and used for stone exploitation that is shipped to the U.S. There are two other pending lawsuits between the U.S. based company and the government of Mexico.
In July, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he intended to declare Sac-Tun a Natural Protected Jungle Area. After the announcement, the Government of Mexico offered the American company 6.5 billion pesos for the land. The company has never responded to the offer.
