New Ruling on Disputed Akumal Bay Beach Access

from Riviera Maya News        December 6, 2017:  Isabella Davis

Akumal Bay, Mexico — A resolution for the strip of land that has been used as a public access point to the beach at Akumal Bay has been reached.

In a press conference, the Akumal Ecological Center (CEA) presented the results of the resolution determined by the Specialized Chamber on Environmental Matters of the Federal Court of Administrative Justice. After a review of documents, the court ruled in favor of the CEA, agreeing that the strip of land in question is on private property.  The dispute has been ongoing with accusations that have fueled a long time battle over the piece of land used to access Akumal Bay beach. However, the Specialized Chamber on Environmental Matters of the Federal Court of Administrative Justice ruled that the last administration of Tulum could not prove ownership, being unable to document or credit the property they claimed was public.

The Chamber of Deputies of the Honorable Congress of the Union has certified through technical studies that the Ecological Center of Akumal is not depriving the population of public access, and that it is private property and is entitled to all the rights of being private. They say accusations of the access point being public property came after mass confusion in local and public opinion that involved local deputies, federal and senators with false information.  However, after continual allegations, the Congress of the Union ordered an exhaustive investigation that included several federal agencies – Zofemat, Profepa, Semarnat and Conanp. In their research, it was determined that the information provided by previous groups turned out to be incorrect.

Representatives of the Environmental Ecological Center showed the Agreement Point endorsed by 20 legislators of the Congress of the Union, including the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, that defines the boundaries of their property.

For years, inhabitants and previous authorities of Akumal asserted that there was an access road to the beach they claimed was marked in the plans, but the Directorate of Cadastre made a certification of measure, closing the road.