Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — The governor of Quintana Roo says that despite granted beach concessions in the Federal Terrestrial Maritime Zone, that does not mean that the beaches are privatized.
The comments come from state governor Carlos Joaquín Gonzalez after two Mexico City tourists were arrested Sunday for sunbathing and not consuming food in a concessioned area of Mamita’s Beach Club in Playa del Carmen.
The governor said that an event such as this angers, and obviously we do not want that to happen because Quintana Roo is characterized for its treatment of tourists based on years of experience that has allowed an influx of more than 23 million visitors last year.
He said that the beach where the event was recorded is a federal zone and is a place where the concessionaires have obtained authorization for their use through the monthly or annual payment to the federation in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Revenue Law. Joaquín González reiterated that the beaches are not private despite the existence of these concessions, saying that there will be a thorough investigation into why the events occurred and the two people were arrested.
He also said he spoke with Mayor Laura Beristain Navarrete to carry out the investigations and take the corresponding measures so that a fact like that does not happen again, “and solutions are sought so that tourism continues to grow. In Quintana Roo everyone is welcome and I hope that there will be a thorough investigation and the corresponding punishment will be applied,” he said.
Since the arrests, Jorge Marzuca, general director of Mamita’s Group publicly apologized to the two people who were forcibly removed from the front of the Mamita’s Beach Club by police on Sunday. In his apology, he promised to review their protocols so that such a situation is not repeated.
The pair were released without charges after their Sunday arrest. They have since filed complaints with the public prosecutor’s office and with the Human Rights Department. The the Directorate of Internal Affairs of Public Security is also investigating.