MAYA Train is the project of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. López Obrador, better known by his nickname AMLO, wants to finish the Maya Train project before he leaves office in September 2024.
The first section of the tourist and cargo train opened on Friday while the rest of the line is expected to be ready by the end of February next year. The United Nations Development Office said the project would lift about 1.1-M people out of poverty by 2030.
However, the agency’s human rights office in Mexico said it failed to meet international standards such as the risk of collapse and water contamination.
To the ancient Maya, the sinkholes found in the Yucatán Peninsula were sacred and served as portals to the gods of the underworld.
There are also environmental concerns that the mega train project could ruin the hidden treasures in the region that served as a home to the first people of the Americas.
For AMLO, the project is a chance to revive the fading legacy of trains in Mexico, help depressed southeastern states and recognize the country’s unique culture.
