Photo by nitumx

 

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador published a decree in the DOF or Official Gazette of the Federation in which provisions were added to articles 8 and 127 of the General Law of National Assets, stipulating that access to beaches and the federal maritime zone must not be inhibited, restricted, hindered or conditioned, unless established by regulations in the General Law of National Assets. 

 

The decree—taking effect today, Oct. 21—states that in the event that there are no public roads to access the beaches, owners of land adjacent to the federal maritime zone must allow free transit, with convenient accesses to be determined by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (article 127).

 

New article 154 was also established, specifying that those who block public access will be sanctioned with a fine of between 3,000 and 12,000 times the current UMA, an economic reference used to calculate certain nationwide economic standards like fines. This would equal between 260,640 and 1,042,569 pesos.

 

Upon a repeated offense, in addition to the fine, the concession, authorization or permit would be revoked and the land would become property of the federation.

 

The bill was approved by senate on Sept. 29 of this year, receiving 107 votes in favor.

 

 “Mexican beaches are constitutionally and legally public, so there must be paths for every visitor, national or foreigner who wishes to enjoy them, to be able to do so,” said Mónica Fernández Balboa, president of the Governance Commission. 

 

This move was spurred by the fact that in recent years an increased number of beach house owners prohibit the passage of tourists, visitors, and locals to beaches adjacent to their land, considering them their property. 

 

There are an estimated 7,000 expatriates living in San Miguel de Allende, some of them owners of properties on Mexican beaches who could be affected by this decree in case of non-compliance.

 

Visitors, foreign or local, can enjoy free access and transit through Mexican beaches, and are encouraged to report non-compliance with the decree to the competent authorities.

 

Sources: Official Gazette of the Federation, Social Communication Coordination of the Senate of the Republic, General Law of National Assets.