An investigative report by journalist Miriam Ramírez for El Universal has exposed a web of irregular contracts, simulated competition, and questionable business awards involving Grupo Mundo Maya. The state-owned enterprise, operated by Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), is tasked with managing critical infrastructure, including regional airports, hotels, parks, and museums.
According to the investigation, Grupo Mundo Maya awarded 507 public contracts worth more than 2.22 billion pesos (approximately $110 million USD) between 2023 and 2025. A significant portion of these public funds allegedly flowed into opaque networks of newly formed or interconnected companies that simulated competition to secure lucrative government deals.
A prime example detailed in the report occurred on November 18, 2025, during a bidding process for a 10-million-peso contract. Three supposedly competing companies submitted proposals. However, records show that two of the primary bidders, Black Ecco TI and Soluciones Tecnológicas del Grijalva, are deeply interconnected. Both companies share a key shareholder and legal representative, María Fernanda Quintero Ramos, sister of Black Ecco’s CEO, René Quintero Ramos.
Between 2023 and 2025, this specific corporate network secured five contracts totaling 43 million pesos for computer rentals, printing services, and data center management. These contracts were consistently awarded through restricted “invitation-only” bidding processes. Alarmingly, the Federal Audit Office (ASF) had previously flagged these same companies for simulating competition and selling IT equipment with markups of up to 100% in other state contracts.
Even more controversial is a massive 77.5-million-pesos contract awarded to Soluciones Integrales Elym. The investigation revealed that the company secured the contract to provide cleaning services across all of Grupo Mundo Maya’s airports, fuel stations, and corporate offices despite being officially debarred and disqualified from bidding on public contracts at the time.
The revelations come at a time of heightened scrutiny for Grupo Mundo Maya. Originally established as GAFSACOMM in 2022 before being rebranded in 2025, the military-led conglomerate has faced criticism over its financial performance and labor practices. The El Universal investigation intensifies pressure on SEDENA to address transparency concerns, as critics argue that turning tourist and transport infrastructure over to military administration has shielded massive public expenditures from civilian oversight.
Source: El Universal
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