In 2026, the land dispossession crisis in Yucatán reached critical levels. Corruption schemes known as the “agrarian mafia” and the “beach mafia” have been exposed, operating through collusion between local and state government officials and real estate developers.
This situation has sparked strong social protests, the intervention of the state police to favor private interests, and a direct appeal for help to the president of the republic.
- The Mega-Dispossession of 11,000 Hectares of National Lands: At the end of 2025, with direct legal effects in 2026, journalistic and institutional investigations revealed that state officials orchestrated the theft of at least 11,000 hectares of land belonging to the nation.
The Modus Operandi: Through the Institute of Legal Security of Patrimonial Property of Yucatán (Insejupy), officials altered official records and falsified property titles.
This allowed for the registration of national properties as private, using records from other states of the republic. Destination of the lands: The lands were handed over to relatives of officials and to private developers to take advantage of the region’s real estate boom. The dispossession encompasses key municipalities such as Mérida, Celestún, Yaxcabá, Dzilam de Bravo, Hunucmá, Kanasín, and Río Lagartos, among others.
- The Conflict in Ixil and the Criminalization of the Maya Indigenous community: In May 2026, the case of the municipality of Ixil generated national outrage due to the prosecution of community defenders.
The Conflict: Real estate business families (such as the Millet and Abimerhi families) are claiming more than 5,200 hectares of land that the Maya community of Ixil uses communally for agriculture and beekeeping.
Official Complicity: Residents have denounced that the state police have acted as the developers’ private security detail, even using tear gas to evict them from their plots of land.
Criminalization: In May 2026, a local judge indicted three defenders of the Ixil territory on charges of “dispossession” brought by the developers themselves, an action criticized by human rights groups for its lack of an intercultural perspective.
- Protests and Direct Confrontation with governor Joaquín “Huacho” Díaz Mena
Social discontent over the legacy of these problems and new demands has escalated directly to the current governor, Joaquín Díaz Mena.
Dzununcán Case: In March 2026, ejido members from the Dzununcán community publicly confronted the governor. They demanded payment or the return of 82 hectares of land that they claimed had been seized from them and which are now used as a parking lot for the Xmatkuil Fair in Mérida.
Demands of the Opposition: Opposition parties and activists have demanded transparency from the governor regarding the lack of accountability in the acquisition and regularization of land in the state.
- Demonstrations Before Claudia Sheinbaum and Actions in Celestún
Petition in Kanasín: On May 16, 2026, ejido members from Ixil, Seyé, and Motul took advantage of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s visit to Kanasín to display banners requesting her direct intervention and a meeting at the National Palace regarding the systematic dispossession of their ejidos (communal lands).
The “Beach Mafia” in Celestún: In late June 2026, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) executed arrest warrants and ordered pretrial detention for those involved in illegal land invasions and land seizures in Celestún’s beach areas.
While the state government described this as a blow against illegality, local residents report that the arrests typically target low-level intermediaries, while high-level officials who facilitate permits and provide notary services remain unpunished.
Sources: Prensa Digital Yucatan / Azteca Noticias
