Tulum, Bacalar, and JMM form alliance for regional development

In an unprecedented move, the mayors of Tulum, Bacalar, and José María Morelos signed a collaboration agreement to promote the economic, tourism, and cultural development of their municipalities, seeking shared prosperity that benefits rural Mayan communities.

Bacalar, Quintana Roo.- In a strategic political move that seeks to redefine development in southern Quintana Roo, the municipalities of Tulum, Bacalar, and José María Morelos have formed a historic alliance. Municipal presidents Diego Castañón Trejo (Tulum), José Alfredo Contreras Méndez (Bacalar), and Erik Borges Yam (José María Morelos) signed a collaboration agreement to create a shared opportunities corridor.

The agreement, witnessed by Government Secretary Cristina Torres, seeks to ensure that the prosperity generated by Tulum's tourism boom does not remain on the coast, but rather extends to inland communities, strengthening the local economy and the Mayan identity that unites the region.

More than just a document, the agreement establishes concrete actions to materialize the collaboration. The most notable is the commitment of the Tulum City Council to establish a "Rural Well-being Market" three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). This space will allow agricultural producers from Bacalar and José María Morelos to sell their products directly in Tulum, without intermediaries.

"This agreement is not just a document; it's a real commitment to the future of our people, to the development of our rural areas, and to the enhancement of our natural and cultural resources." – Diego Castañón Trejo, Mayor of Tulum.

This alliance can be interpreted as a political response to one of the most persistent criticisms of the Riviera Maya's development model: the profound inequality between the opulence of the coastal area and the precariousness of many inland Mayan communities.

The agreement seeks to create a model of social justice and development with shared prosperity, in line with the state government's vision. In addition to the market, it includes the following initiatives:

• Organization of business and government meetings.
• Exchange of trade missions.
• Mutual tourism promotion to create a more diverse circuit.
• Technical training to improve public services.
• Dissemination of cultural expressions and traditions.

The mayor of José María Morelos, Erik Borges Yam, emphasized that this initiative ensures that profits go directly to producers, fostering economic growth in their homes. The initiative is supported by the National Institute of Social Economy (INAES), which will offer support to entrepreneurs and productive projects in the three municipalities.

This historic alliance marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration that seeks to strengthen the local economy and improve the lives of residents by leveraging the cultural and natural wealth of the Mayan region.