Calakmul encompasses a tropical forest and an ancient city, but it has been looted by criminals for years…//
President López Obrador announced he will deploy the army to prevent the looting and destruction of the Calakmul biosphere reserve, located in the state of Campeche.
Since August 2014, Calakmul was recognized as a mixed natural and cultural site, part of the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. “I want to tell (this) to the ones who are destroying it (Calakmul): we are going to deploy the army to stop the looting of the Campeche jungle,” said the President.
For years, Calakmul has been targeted by criminals who loot the archeological zone and obtain natural resources from the biosphere reserve illegally. The President emphasized that society has to look after the environment because it is Mexico’s heritage and the need to preserve it for future generations.
In March, the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) informed that after visiting the area, it confirmed the virgin tropical forest had been looted, and there’s also the possibility that some Mayan archeological remains had been destroyed.
Calakmul is located in the central/southern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula, in southern Campeche, and includes the remains of the important Maya city Calakmul, set deep in the tropical forest of the Tierras Bajas.
The city played a key role in the history of this region for more than twelve centuries and is characterized by well-preserved structures providing a vivid picture of life in an ancient Maya capital. The property also falls within the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot, the third largest in the world, encompassing all subtropical and tropical ecosystems from central Mexico to the Panama Canal, according to UNESCO.
TEXT: El Universal
