Controversies on Development: Infrastructure Projects in AMLO’s Government in Mexico
Development. Maya Train. Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Mexico. Megaprojects. Local impact.
Among the 30 priority projects of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) during his six-year term as president of Mexico are the construction of the Tren Maya and the development of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. These megaprojects have sparked debates among Mexican political and social groups in different ways, with positions ranging from broadly favorable to unfavorable or ambivalent. At the core of these controversies lies the notion of "development," which is shaped by different groups through heterogeneous ideas. Thus, this research focuses on the following question: how do controversies on development intersect with local circumstances and get reshaped by and through the effects of these megaprojects? The objective is to understand how these large-scale projects in southern and southeastern Mexico impact the lives of local populations and prompt changes in their perceptions of what constitutes national and local development.