Twenty Six years ago we first stepped foot on Isla Mujeres. There was a feeling like we never had before when visiting a new place, it felt like “home”. We continued to vacation on Isla Mujeres for longer periods of time until one day we realized this is where we want to call home, if not forever but for the most part of our lives. We wanted to feel part of this most welcoming community.
Several years later, our dream came true and we bought an existing structure along what is known as the “airport strip” on the island. It needed work but we felt was well worth it. We didn’t mind that the airport was across the street with at the time some private small planes landing and of course the Navy helicopters landing almost on a daily special – it made us feel part of the local community.
For the next 16 years we lived in a well-established quiet “colonia” of Isla Mujeres. We continued to participate in local events that helped the many needs of the local people and always recommended Isla as a vacation spot to our friends.
That all changed in March of 2019 when the authorities of Isla and CFE decided to upend our lives and health by installing a mega plant generator in the airport directly in front of homes including ours. We were informed at that point that it was needed for the soon to be installed undersea cables that were to improve the power supply to the Island.
While we all hated it, we welcomed the fact that the island would be moving in the right direction and providing the much needed power supply to those who have called Isla home either from birth or by choice. Well that never happened due to CFE and the contractor backing out and then the pandemic hit and the world stood still.
What actually did happen is that this was and is being used to supply extra power to the island whenever CFE feels it appropriate. Sometimes for an hour, other times for a day, other times for months on end for periods of 14 hours per day.
The generator is a diesel-powered machine which as anyone knows spues toxic fumes in the air when operating. Both a health danger to humans but also the wildlife that surrounds it. Both on the land and nearby beaches (very close to the location of the mega plant).
The noise level is way above any legal limit in the world. It is deafening. Some cannot live in their homes, others cannot live on the 2nd floor and others have had to incur expenses to kind of “lock up” their houses to the noise so as to be able to even live with some sort of relief. In addition, many home owners have incurred structural damage from the vibration of the mega plant being operated.
Realizing that the island deserves better in power and water, and we are not in any way acting as entitled non-citizens (several are but most are permanent residents), we are not wanting others to suffer from not having power. Not at all. But we are and have been asking why this was installed in an area where people live.
There are many other places on the island (even further north on the airport strip) that it could have been installed with no major disruptions to anyone’s lives and most importantly still providing the extra power to Isla.
We have been trying to have our voices and concerns heard both with the many authorities on Isla, and Q. Roo, the many organizations that are supposedly there to protect residents of Mexico, and CFE, all being ignored. It is like our lives don’t matter, that our health doesn’t matter, nothing matters to anyone in authority to do something about this.
It is possible to have something done? The airport is under the control of the State of Q. Roo (or at least that is what we were told) and conversely, the City of Isla Mujeres should be able to intervene and resolve this life and health threatening situation.
Does it matter that we don’t vote? Does it matter that we aren’t, for the most part, citizens? Shouldn’t it matter that we are human beings who have lived here for many years who have, in no way, contributed to the overbuilding of Isla with mega multi-family homes and large hotels and condo buildings all contributing to the lack of power to the Island. These are questions that have fallen on deaf ears by everyone.
We can no longer, in good faith, recommend to anyone to visit Isla Mujeres. why? Why would anyone want to visit a place where residents’ needs and health are ignored, where lives can be uprooted in a manner of minutes.
Also, we could never ever recommend that anyone invest any of their money into any property or business on Isla. This breaks our heart since we do not want to hurt the many wonderful local people who have businesses that rely on tourism and investment opportunities.
In closing please note that none of us are multi-millionaires who just bought or invested in Isla so as to increase their “bottom line”. Far from it. We are all or were hard working individuals who saved all of their lives to invest in a place where we felt at home, where we felt our lives mattered; where we felt part of a community. This all has been shattered by CFE’s lack of concern to our lives and that we just don’t matter to local and other authoritative agencies.
Signed
Broken hearted and going deaf in Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres, Q Roo
