On May 29, 2008, the Decree of the Creation of Tulum as a municipality entered into force; Since then, seven municipal presidents and 15 police officers have failed to eradicate in 15 years the crime that afflicts citizens and visitors, who have witnessed or been victims of some crime.
In the last 81 days, since Diego Castañón Trejo protest as a alternate president, after the death of Marciano Dzul Caamal, the panorama is no different.
According to the criminal incidence of the National Citizen Observatory (ONC), malicious homicides related to organized crime have increased by up to 488.57%, from April 2022 to date, with a total of 1,436 executions; followed by the investigation folders for drug trafficking, which increased by 132.98% in the same period.
On March 16, and recognizing that Tulum was going through very delicate moments, Diego Castañón appointed as head of the Secretary of Public Security and Citizen Protection, to the Lieutenant of Marine Frigate Ricardo Morales Santo as the new head of said agency. The purpose of a new police command was to inhibit criminal indices, because in the first two months of 2023, 14 executions awarded to organized crime had been consummated; However, to date the figures have tripled, because only in the 81 days of the current administration 41 people have been the target of this crime.
Among armed attacks against victims of extortion, clandestine graves, forced disappearances, violent assaults that charged lives and executions perpetrated by antagonistic groups, thus the first 15 years of Tulum have passed, some high -impact events were hidden by the municipal authorities, since there is a slogan to not to filter information to the media to not damage the image of this tourist destination for people who visit to Quintana Roo.
Many of these events occurred in broad daylight and part of the statistics of this bloody story, from 2008 to 2023, have been men, women, children, police, tourists, businessmen, merchants, mothers, and a journalist.
Municipal Presidents
In the perspective of those who have headed the Tulum City Council, each one has left their mark on the criminal indexes in the municipality, so a brief mention of each of them is made below.
Víctor Mas Tah (2008-2009) was the first president, and according to the Municipal Statistical Synthesis Tulum (2009-2011), during his first management 52 investigation folders were initiated for different crimes, he accumulated 184 complaints for six crimes, the Main, homicides.
Edith Mendoza Pino (2011-2012) was arrested in Playa del Carmen on December 7, 2012 for the crimes of embezzlement and improper use of the public service, on August 6, 2020 was released.
Martín Cobos Villalobos (2012-2013), after the resignation of his predecessor Edith Mendoza Pino, Cobos Villalobos paid protest as a municipal president, although a Melchor Gamboa May was the next in lane, who was the substitute for Mendoza Pino, but the decline of the position, arguing that their priorities were to attend their businesses and health.
David Balam Chan (2013-2016), on October 30, 2019 he was arrested when he was linked to the process of irregular performance of the public function, with a damage of 114 million pesos to the city finances, at the time the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced that He was accused of the irregular adjudication of contracts for the provision of services with 29 companies, without any support or justification, in addition, missing the guidelines established in the Acquisitions Regulations at the municipal and state level.
Romualda Dzul Caamal (2016-2018), is currently under investigation for an alleged embezzlement to public coffers in the fiscal year of 2017, along with eight other officials who served during their administration.
Víctor Mas Tah (2018-2021), in his second administration he was denounced by former citizen participation director, Miguel Josué Castilla Gómez, before the Prosecutor’s Office specialized in fighting corruption of the State of Quintana Roo, for the crimes of abuse of authority, falsification of documents, illicit use of powers of public service.
Marciano Dzul Caamal (2021-2023), in his second administration the criminal incidence increased 873.5%, according to the figures of the Municipal Statistical Synthesis of Tulum 2012 and the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP); He died on March 4 as a result of cancer.
Diego Castañón Trejo (currently), by supplying Marciano Dzul Caamal, has not given good safety results in the first 81 days in ofice, of the 55 malicious homicides, 41 have occurred in his management.
Source: Por Esto
