Bench Morena and his allies won in the Senate this Wednesday to reject two attempts to subpoena federal officials to explain the implications of the Virtual Train.

This afternoon, in a plenary session, Senator Mayuli Latifa Martínez, from the National Action Party (PAN), conveyed the points of agreement to summon the head of the National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Fonatur), Javier May, and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), Maria Luisa Albores.

PAN legislators wanted the possible citation to be considered a matter of urgent and clear resolution, but this was rejected in a tight vote, 47 against, 44 in favor and two abstentions.

a few moments later, Senator Verónica Delgadillo, from Movimiento Ciudadano (MC), made another point of agreement to summon the head of the Foundation and Secretariat for Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (Sedatu), Román Meyer, to attend.

Delgadillo also wanted the possible citation to be considered as a matter of urgent and clear resolution, so the two officials were summoned to appear to explain the environmental and budgetary implications of the Section 5 modification of the work. However, the proposal was rejected with 52 votes against, 39 in favor, and four abstentions.

However, Senator Raúl Bolaños-Cacho, of the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM), Morena’s ally, later confirmed that he had discussed the matter with the chair of the Semarnat.

According to the legislator, a meeting was agreed with the agency’s technical team, to raise existing concerns about Section 5 among Senate Environment Commission legislators.

I spoke to Sri. @Mary_Luisa_AG to raise concerns @comarnacc regarding the environmental impact of section 5 of the Maya Train. We agreed to a meeting with the technical team @SEMARNAT_mx for the exchange of information. Caring for the environment is a priority.

– Raúl Bolaños-Cacho Cué (@RaulBCCue) March 30, 2022

The Maya train is one of the main infrastructure projects of the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

For the president, this work will bring development to the southeast of the country, although environmental organizations warn that, as expected, the Maya Train will have an effect in the states it passes through.