A group up of volunteers living near Mérida’s La Plancha Park have taken it upon themselves to pick up mounds of garbage.
Residents say that they are beautifying the area in hopes that the government will stick to its promise and expand the park into some have dubbed “Meridá’s Central Park.”
“We want to keep this area clean and beautiful; it’s really in ours and everyone’s interest to do so,” said area resident Carlos Ortega García.
Residents in favor of enlarging and improving the park have started a Facebook group to help them get the word out and attract volunteers to their cause.
The La Plancha area is already home to the ESAY, Yucatán’s state art college, housed in Mérida’s old train station.
Last month, federal, state, and local authorities announced that the new La Plancha park would be built and work in concert with Mérida’s new Mayan Train station.
Earlier: United Nations objects to Mayan Train station at La Plancha
The proposed park would cover an area of roughly 16 hectares, or 70% of the land which makes up the area. The other 30% would be utilized for the construction of the train station.
But because the project is tightly tied to the controversial Mayan Train, many Mérida residents are skeptical the park will ever be finished.
“It is sad, but I can see it now. The due date will come and go, the current government will be out of office and whoever follows will just abandon the whole thing,” Said Emanuel Canúl, a resident living two blocks from La Plancha.
Last week, government authorities acknowledged that the Mayan Train rail project was behind schedule, with only 10% of its infrastructure being complete. The deadline for the entire Mayan Train project has been set for December 2023.
