According to Prime Minister Briceño, another major project from Mexico could benefit Belize. It's called Tren Maya, and it's another flagship program of the Mexican President, in which a 900+ intercity railway is being built that will travel the Yucatan Peninsula.
Estimated at 1.5 Billion US dollars, Tren Maya is envisioned as increasing connectivity for tourist destinations in the Caribbean with lesser-known sites inland. Also, it will significantly improve transportation and economic growth in the country.
Here's how PM Briceno explained that the "Maya Train" Project could also connect Belize to Mexico as well:
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"One of President Lopez Obrador's flagship projects is the Trend Maya. This project is 1500 kilometer train track, beginning in Palenque, through Merida, Campeche, Cancun, and Tulum, and ends in Chetumal. It is designated to facilitate trade and tourism in Southern Mexico. And last year, when I met with the president in Morelos, I expressed to the president our desire to have Trend Maya come to Belize. On Saturday last week, the president confirmed that Mexico is desirous of extending Trend Maya to Belize. Now, Madam Speaker, in anticipation of this decision, I can inform this Honorable House that the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, CABEI, is undertaking a study to see how Trend Maya can be extended into Belize. Now, I don't want to get excited and say, 'Oh, John Briceño wants to run a train track through Belize. We have to study to ensure that the economics works and that it can be feasible. But, if we can get Trend Maya coming into Belize, Madam Speaker, you could imagine the thousands of tourists that can easily come from the Cancun area into Belize and trade. The transportation of our products to and from Mexico will also be able to be done more effectively, more efficiently, and at a much lower cost. We believe, Madam Speaker, that this initiative has a real potential to drastically change transportation from Northern Belize, which can bring us benefits to tourism and industry."
News reports out of Mexico indicate that the US District Court granted a provisional suspension of any work and activity on Section 5 of the Tren Maya, which goes from Cancun and Tulum. The legal challenge came from a conservation organization attempting to stop the project.
