Since Tesla’s arrival in Mexico, the perspective focused on the pros of having Elon Musk’s gigafactory in Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leon, since the second richest man in the world confirmed an investment of 5 billion dollars (89 billion 850 million pesos approximately); however, it is not the project that will generate more jobs in the country.
The government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is promoting an infrastructure project that will generate up to 27 times the number of jobs that Tesla is planning for Mexico. This statement was not provided by the federal government nor by Movimiento Regeneración Nacional, but by the United Nations.
According to UN-Habitat, which conducted an analysis on the impact of the Mayan Train, one of AMLO’s megaprojects, and after analyzing the region, the uses the Train will have and the industries it intends to promote, the international organization concluded that the project will generate 945,000 new jobs.
In order to reach this result, the UN outlined 30 indicators in 268 municipalities in the states where the Mayan Train will be present (Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Yucatan and Quintana Roo), “which allows us to know the situation prior to the construction of the train and calculate its impact in the following years“. It was for this reason that he stated that the Mayan Train will generate almost one million new jobs in the southeast of Mexico and not only in one state.
He also pointed out that 46% of the jobs that will be generated will benefit people belonging to indigenous peoples; in addition, the UN estimated that the places through which the Train will pass will have considerable economic growth, which will generate an economic benefit that could lift many Mexicans out of poverty.
According to a report, these jobs will be related to the construction, maintenance and operation of the train, as well as the development of tourist infrastructure and the promotion of economic activities in the regions near the train stations.
It should be noted that the exact numbers of jobs generated may vary depending on various factors, such as the evolution of the project and the country’s economic and social conditions.
The analysis states that if the train did not exist, the local economic impact would be 0.84%, equivalent to 1.5 billion pesos; however, with the train, the growth will be 1.59%, or 2.1 billion pesos. And all of this will mean that 1.1 million 100 thousand people will have the possibility of getting out of poverty.
Furthermore, according to the UN, “orderly planning avoids land consumption by 49% and protects the environment”. This means that planning makes it possible to reduce the amount of land used by people to settle and develop their activities. “In the southeast region there are, on average, 38 people per hectare. Increasing this density would leave more land free of human activities.”
Finally, the positive impact it would have on education in Mexico’s most forgotten region was contemplated, as the UN pointed out that the Mayan Train will allow an average increase of two years of schooling in the municipalities with a station.
“The number of years of schooling for each inhabitant 15 years of age or older in the towns through which the Mayan Train will pass will increase by an average of two years. Average schooling improves training conditions and access to the labor market, in a scenario where a growth in tourism and productive economic activity is expected.”
What is the Mayan Train?
Together with the Felipe Ángeles International Airport and the Dos Bocas refinery (works already inaugurated, although not yet operating at their full potential), the Mayan Train is one of the flagship projects of the Mexican government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The Mayan Train is an infrastructure project proposed by the Mexican government led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The project consists of the construction of a railway approximately 1,525 kilometers long that will connect several cities and tourist destinations in the southeast of Mexico, such as Cancun, Tulum, Calakmul, Palenque and Merida.
The project has generated controversy due to environmental and social concerns, as the construction of the train could have a negative impact on local ecosystems and communities. The Mexican government has stated that mitigation measures will be implemented to minimize any negative impact of the project on the environment and local communities.
The Tren Maya project is currently under construction and is expected to be operational by 2024.
TYT Newsroom
