The Peón Contreras Theater: Deterioration, Delays, and Broken Promises

Nearly four and a half-years after a fire devastated the Peón Contreras, Mérida’s most iconic venue continues to deteriorate. At the same time, officials have remained silent, and reopening dates keep being pushed back.

A commission to restore the Peón Contreras was completed in 2023, but showed no tangible results. On Aug. 15, 2025, the Yucatán Institute for Public Works Construction and Conservation (Inccopy) launched a second commission to study the rehabilitation and conservation of the theater, but, as in 2023, no concrete plan or timeline was forthcoming. 

The only public comment came from the director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Yucatán, Víctor Arturo Martínez Rojas, who claimed he hoped the restoration of the Peón Contreras theater’s dome could be finished by May 2026.

According to INAH art restorer Luciano Cedillo Álvarez, the restoration of the Peón Contreras would take approximately two years. That means the theater will not reopen to the public until late 2027 at the earliest.

Visible Deterioration Worsens at the Peón Contreras

Compounding the delays is the fact that recent inspections show two noticeable sections of the upper floor roof have detached on the alley side. This damage does not appear to be the result of fire, but rather a lack of maintenance.

“The deterioration of the José Peón Contreras Theater is worsening,” reported Sol Yucatán in a recent investigation. “More than four years after the fire… the upper floor roof on the alley side shows two noticeable detachments, attributable to lack of maintenance and the absence of an integral restoration”.

There is also further damage within the theater’s main chamber, caused by what an anonymous source attributed to budget cuts, hinting even at corruption..

Millions Spent on the Peón Contreras, No Results

According to data obtained from the National Transparency Platform, the total spent on works and services at the theater is 15,195,948 pesos, just shy of $USD 1 million. 

In just two years, the State Government spent 14.5 million pesos on supposed rehabilitation and equipment through direct contracts given without competitive bidding. Another 700,000 pesos went to garbage collection, disinfection, and private security.

“The institutional secrecy has marked the process,” reports Novedades Yucatán. “The INAH has refused to provide specific information regarding the state of the Peón Contreras. The number of issues that continue to go unaddressed is becoming ridiculous.”

How to Explain the Delays

Restoring a historic monument like the Péon Contreras is difficult. The theater, inaugurated on Dec. 21, 1908, is classified as an artistic monument. Work requires specialized restorers. The dome and mural are complex. Humidity and damaged columns need attention. Yet, these difficulties do not explain away nearly five years of delays.

The previous administration, led by Gov. Mauricio Vila Dosal, reportedly eliminated the trust fund designated for the theater’s rescue. Seventy million pesos were assigned for renovation work. The work was supposed to be completed by August 2025.

“The walls remain black from soot expelled by the smoke, and the funds assigned for the work disappeared,” reports Sol Yucatán.

One company, Planisur, received three separate contracts for rehabilitation work between July 2023 and December 2024. A 1.25-million-peso equipment contract went to a company in Guadalajara. The documents do not specify what equipment was purchased.

Meanwhile, the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra plays at the Palacio de la Música, a smaller, more modernistic venue on Calle 58.