Tulum (Mexico), Dec 20 (EFE) .- Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced on Sunday that an Army company will manage the Maya Train in the southeast, as well as other airports in the region and the capital.

“ A company that relies on the Armed Forces for the purpose of good management of the train, airports, that it is self-sufficient, and that the profits of this company are destined to strengthen the finances for pensioners and pensioners of the Armed Forces,” he revealed.

The president reported that this company will operate three sections of the Maya Train that will go from Tulum, Quintana Roo, to Palenque, Chiapas.

He also indicated that the military will operate the airports of Tulum and Chetumal, capital of Quintana Roo, Palenque, and Felipe Ángeles, in Santa Lucia, which will serve the metropolitan area of Mexico City.

  • Despite his proximity to Donald Trump, Andrés Manuel López Obrador spoke on the phone with Joe Biden

The leftist leader defended this decision during the signing in Tulum of the Regional Territorial Planning Program agreement, with which he intends to “avoid privatization” of the Maya Train, its emblematic project for southeastern Mexico.

“ We have to protect this work so that there is no temptation to privatize it and what better than to leave it to the Armed Forces and that it aims to finance the pensions of seafarers and soldiers, that is an objective,” he said.

The president is touring this weekend to monitor the advances of the Maya Train, which will have an estimated investment of $5 billion for about 1,500 kilometers in the five southeast states: Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, Chiapas and Quintana Roo.

After the beginning of the works in June, the president has undertaken to deliver the railway in “operation and operation” between 2023 and 2024, before completing its management.

To accelerate the construction of its projects, López Obrador has instructed the Army to build section 6 and 7 of the Maya Train, which together total more than 500 kilometers, as well as Tulum and Felipe Angeles airports.

“ The second purpose to deliver the train and airports to the Armed Forces is that we must ensure security in the region, here we have to take care that we do not have any problems of insecurity so that everyone who visits this region will be able to be safe,” he justified.

The five governors from the southeast, the UN-Habitat representative in Mexico, the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena), and other members of the federal cabinet participated in the signing of this Sunday’s agreement.

In response to criticism of the increased participation of the Armed Forces in government priority projects, General Gustavo Vallejo defended the army’s intervention to “fully observe the precepts of effectiveness, efficiency, and honesty.”

“ In carrying out these tasks, the Army and Air Force reaffirm their institutional commitment to continue contributing to the country’s progress by carrying out social works such as those that are today the cause of this event,” said the general on behalf of Sedena.

Source: https://www.inspiredtraveler.ca/military-participation-is-growing-in-mexicos-key-projects-amlo-announces-army-company-to-manage-tren-maya-and-airports/