Tren Maya: Margarita Zavala lashed out at Semarnat for calling artists “pseudo-environmentalists”

The deputy of the National Action Party (PAN), Margarita Zavala, lashed out at the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), following a statement issued by the agency in which she described the artists and public figures who participated in the video “Sélvame” as “pseudo-environmentalists” where they warned of the serious damage to the environment caused by the construction of section 5 of the Maya Train that will cross southeastern Mexico.

Through her Twitter account, the wife of former President Felipe Calderón said: “Institutions at the service of Morena and against citizens. Here we see semarnat fighting from power with Mexicans”, while retweeting the message of another user who shared the statement.

The text of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, headed by María Luisa Albores, pointed out that the campaign “Sélvame del tren” aims to “misinform the population” about the mega-work promoted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The Secretariat assured that far from devastating the environment, the government of the self-called “Fourth Transformation” seeks to remedy the socio-environmental disaster that past administrations allowed and promoted.

With words very similar to those used by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to point out environmental groups that have strongly questioned his government, Semarnat called critics of the Maya Train as “pseudo-environmentalists”.

“Where were the pseudo-environmentalists when the real devastation began years ago in southeastern Mexico? [...] We share some serious situations of the last 30 years that have damaged the natural wealth of that region and that were not worthy to raise the voice of those who today stand as defenders of the environment,” says the text of Semarnat.

The federal agency listed a series of actions that were endorsed by previous governments such as: allowing the indiscriminate growth of pig farms; encouraging the use of agrochemicals such as glyphosate; failing to address the growing problem of deforestation and illegal logging; allowing mining without considering damage to the environment; allow the planting of exotic crops such as oil palm; authorization of mega-projects and tourist infrastructure works that severely damaged the environment.

And on the other hand, he listed the actions being carried out by the AMLO government, so he finally assured that the Mayan Train project “harmonizes economic and social development with the conservation of natural resources”, in addition to promoting “the conservation of the territory” through the expansion and creation of Natural Areas Protected”.

In short, he indicated that the mega-work will provide “social and environmental justice” in southeastern Mexico.

In the midst of the commemoration of World Water Day, last Tuesday, March 22, a video titled “Save me from the train” was published in which an important group of artists and influencers such as Eugenio Derbez, Natalia Lafourcade, Kate del Castillo, Barbara Mori, Saul Hernández, Omar Chaparro, Ana Claudia Talancón, Aislinn Derbez, Arturo Islas, among others; in which they asked to stop the construction of Section 5 South of the Maya Train.

In the publication, which quickly went viral, those involved explained that the work of the Train would severely affect underground rivers, apart from causing serious damage to the flora and fauna of the region.

The clip opens with actor and producer Eugenio Derbez who highlighted that “the Mayan Train is destroying the jungle, our natural heritage”. For her part, singer Natalia Lafourcade said that in the construction of section 5 of the Maya Train “thousands of trees have already been destroyed” and warned that there could be millions more, while influencer Arturo Islas, warned of the contamination of Mexico's underground rivers and cenotes.

Meanwhile, the vocalist of Café Tacuba, Rubén Albarrán, addressed President Andrés Manuel López Obrador telling him “we are not his adversaries, we are Mexican and we want life for all of us.”

Faced with the controversy unleashed by the video, Andrés Manuel López said that the personalities who participated in the recording are “pseudo-environmentalists” and “fifis” and even said that they had received money to make the clip.

He said that those who have not received payment for their participation did so because they have a conservative thought and seek fame; but, he said, were “very uninformed” about what they were denouncing. He even said that they were “clearly” reading a text.

“Some were there reading and they very clearly put one to read and say that I should know the country, I think I know it a little better than he does (...) I'm going to brag, I apologize, but I don't think there is a Mexican who knows all the municipalities of Mexico,” said AMLO at his conference last Thursday, March 24.

“I wish these celebrities learn more, don't let themselves be surprised, maybe they didn't even know what they were going to cause with what they are proposing, they were possibly used,” he said.

In response, Eugenio Derbez pointed out that he did not receive any kind of financial remuneration for having collaborated in the campaign.

“It hurts me that they disqualify him (the video) because I think the lion believes that everyone is of his condition. I don't get yellow envelopes, I don't need that. I earn my money with the sweat of my brow and I do this for the love of Mexico,” he said in an interview with journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva on Friday, March 25.

KEEP READING: