The INAH has not agreed to pay the 64 million pesos demanded by the ejidatarios of Telchaquillo for the use of their lands in the Mayapán archaeological zone.
The archaeological site will remain closed to the public indefinitely, as the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) refuses to offer a better payment for the ejidal lands on which the pre-Hispanic area is located, stated the ejidal commissioner of Telchaquillo, Rusel Gregorio García.
He recalled that the INAH Yucatán Center only offered 8 million 155 thousand pesos for the 16 hectares that comprise the historic enclosure and to date refuses to offer another more attractive amount, as the affected parties request up to 64 million pesos.
“There is still no deal, so the closure of the site will continue until they grant a better payment,” asserted the community leader.
“They do not want to give more money than what they have said so far, and in this way, there will be no progress, so the Mayapán settlement will remain closed,” he warned during an interview granted by telephone.
On November 7, 2023, the ejidatarios blocked access to the place; the next day, the agency had a meeting with them. Subsequently, on the 17th of the same month, the director of INAH, Diego Prieto Hernández, announced that he will meet with the landowners.
Also, on December 6, 2023, the topographers of the Agrarian Prosecutor’s Office (PA) went to Mayapán to measure the approximately 14 hectares of ejidal land on which the central core of the archaeological zone is located.
Although the enclosure has a circular wall with a nine-kilometer radius, the protesters claimed that the extension of the ejidal lands on which the archaeological monuments area is located is 14 hectares.
On January 19, 2024, Prieto Hernández presided over an assembly with those affected, with whom he committed to pay compensation such as the expropriation of the Mayapán lands for the prompt reopening of the pre-Hispanic tourist area.
Likewise, the official proposed the construction of a dome at the head of the commissioner’s office, as well as obtaining resources for the restoration of the church of Telchaquillo, the building of a museum, along with the promotion of tourism in the place and the area of archaeological monuments.
“To date, we have not seen that he has fulfilled any of the promises, so we will maintain the closure of Mayapán,” emphasized Gregorio García.
