Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo will be sending a letter to the White House and United States Congress notifying them that the land exploited by Calica, a subsidiary of Vulcan Materials, is a Protected Natural Area and was not expropriated. The land in question is located in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo.
On Friday, March 7, US Congressmen asked President Donald Trump to act in favor of the interests of Vulcan Materials, the largest producer and marketer of limestone for construction in the United States. During his six-year term, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador lost control of this land located south of Playa del Carmen, where it had mined the material for decades.
The letter, signed by 36 members of Congress, calls President Trump to support “the protection of American industries and jobs.”
In previous years, US officials criticized the Biden administration for standing on the sidelines, accusing the Mexican government of forcing the closure of Vulcan Materials’ limestone quarry and deepwater port on the Yucatan peninsula in 2022.
“While discussing trade and border security issues with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, we ask you to demand a resolution for Vulcan Materials Company. Mexico must resolve this crisis by engaging in good faith negotiations to account for its illegal actions,” the letter details.
In turn, they stressed that Mexico has given “atrocious treatment to Vulcan Materials Company,” so they see a ”need for forceful measures.”
According to the Congressmen, in 1986, with the support of the Mexican government, Vulcan Materials Company bought land to build and operate a limestone quarry next to the only deepwater port on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula, an operation that they say supplies essential construction materials from Texas to Florida and the Carolinas.
They added that on May 5, 2022, under the direction of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s military forces invaded Vulcan’s facilities and illegally shut down its operations.
“Since then, the Gulf and South Atlantic coasts of the United States have lost a vital supply of construction materials, disrupting the construction of essential infrastructure projects and endangering American jobs.”
They allege that on September 23, 2024, López Obrador expropriated Vulcan’s property by designating it as a “protected natural area” and that “President Sheinbaum is currently considering a ‘management plan’ that could benefit Mexican and other foreign interests at the expense of a U.S. company.”
In response, President Sheinbaum clarified that “there was never an expropriation”, as the land they bought is still owned by the company. However, it went beyond its boundaries and the authorized exploitation area, seriously affecting the subsoil. For this reason, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador changed the land use of that space to a “Natural Protected Area”.
Because of this land designation, President Sheinbaum has said a letter will be sent to both the Congressmen and President Donald Trump, explaining the facts. She added that talks will be sought with the company to avoid going to court.
“There was never any expropriation. The land is theirs, the terrain is theirs,” Stated President Sheinbaum. “The problem is that they completely left the authorized area of exploitation and went to other areas, affecting cenotes and aquifers.”
“They were informed. They were told. They continued with the exploitation, and then President López Obrador decided to change the land use. But there is no expropriation. It is now a protected natural area where the exploitation of these materials is not allowed because it is seriously affecting the environment,” Sheinbaum stressed.
During her morning press conference, the president emphasized that “no company can violate the environmental impact authorization” and that the environmental impact it was causing was a serious issue.
The Congressmen also stated they were concerned about alleged reports that the adjacent Maya Train project could be financed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Because of this, they requested that the Trump administration urgently investigate to clarify who the true promoters of the project are. “If evidence emerges of activities that threaten the national security of the United States, we urge your administration to take the necessary measures to protect our national interests,” they wrote.
Sheinbaum maintains that the funds used to build the “Tren Maya” were public and came from the Mexican people who paid taxes and that they were returned to build it.
“There is no Chinese financing. If any company had a fund at any time, it has nothing to do with the financing of the Maya Train.”
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