"UN experts urge Mexico to rethink tourist train project", 15 December 2022

...Now a group of 10 experts and expert groups – including those focused on the environment, the rights of indigenous peoples and human rights defenders –  have spoken out about a host of concerns: weak environmental impact studies, the failure to consult with Indigenous communities in ways that ensure genuine participation, attacks on human rights defenders and the very limited access to justice.

‘The Tren Maya project is running roughshod over community concerns and environmental protections, and is fuelling attacks against human rights defenders. This is at odds with everything Mexico should stand for’, said ISHR’s Raphael Viana David...

With the Mexican government designating the project a ‘national security project’ in an apparent bid to bypass legal challenges, in their statement, the experts remind the State of its obligations to affected people and the environment...

In their statement, the UN experts also direct their calls toward companies involved in the project decrying the lack of human rights due diligence by those involved.

“Relevant companies and investors domiciled in Spain, the United States and China cannot turn a blind eye to the serious human rights concerns related to the Train Maya project,’ they note...