Mexico City. The Chamber of Deputies today approved the reform to article 28 of the Constitution through which the use of railways for passenger transport will be promoted, and although the initiative received the endorsement of all parliamentary groups, the opposition demanded that the next railway routes railway are built without repeating the cost overruns and damage to the environment that, they accused, the Mayan Train involved.
After a debate that lasted six hours, the project was approved unanimously with 472 votes in favor. Although a total of 135 reservations were presented to the ruling, voiced by 38 speakers, none of the opposition parties’ statements were accepted for discussion, while those of Morena and its allies withdrew them.
In a meeting with the media, prior to the session, the coordinator of the cherry bench in San Lázaro, Ricardo Monreal, welcomed that the initiative “recovers the leadership of the State in matters of rail transport and privileges passenger transport”, after that in the 90s the “neoliberal” governments privatized the railways and these were used only for loading goods.
“What this minute contains is to recover the legal capacity of the State to provide the public passenger train service, and also the State could grant or concession to those who currently have the transportation concession to also provide the passenger train service. ”he explained.
When taking the stand to argue in favor of the reform, Jorge Armando Ortiz (PT) recalled that the national railways “were privatized by Ernesto Zedillo, who began this process, and by Vicente Fox, who completed it. “Prianist presidents sell their homelands, who handed over this nation’s heritage to foreign companies, and who, as former presidents, their mark of pride was being employees of these transnational companies.”
Likewise, the deputies in favor of the initiative highlighted that, by promoting the train as a means of passenger transportation, traffic on the roads and airplanes will be relieved; The regional development of the towns and communities through which the railway passes will be promoted, and there will be a sustainable and less polluting mobility option.
On the opposition side, although it was announced that their vote would be in favor of the reform, it was also demanded that the new railway projects be carried out with transparency and care for the environment, in addition to guaranteeing the safety of passengers. against organized crime.
Accompanied by other legislators from his bench who were holding photos of jungle areas cut down for the construction of the Mayan Train, PAN member José Manuel Hinojosa denounced that this project generated “ecocide” in the regions where it happened, in addition to “work contracts under of corruption and nepotism.”
The blue and white is not against passenger trains, he clarified, but “we are very concerned that they are now talking about seven new passenger train routes, because if we have learned anything in the last six years, it is that each Q4 proposal It comes with a trap, corruption, opacity, and will surely remain unfinished or useless, like the Felipe Ángeles International Airport or the Dos Bocas refinery.”
Hinojosa stressed that the PAN would vote in favor of the initiative, but announced that they would present reservations – none of which were accepted – so that the operation and safety of passenger trains would be guaranteed, as well as their budgetary viability, and the opinion would be heard. of specialists in environmental issues.
The coordinator of the PRI bench, Rubén Moreira, questioned “where the budget is going to come from for all this that was said to be done,” and warned that, if this railway project is carried out, the country’s debt could reach even at 2 billion pesos.
Due to the above, it presented a reservation so that businessmen who currently have freight train service concessions are obliged to provide passenger transportation service, “giving priority to populations that live in isolated communities and do not have another means of transportation.” public transport”. The proposal, however, was rejected.
For their part, Sergio Gil and Hugo Luna (MC) stressed that voting in favor of the reform did not imply handing a “blank check” to the federal government, which is why they demanded that passenger trains consider the investment of private initiative. through concessions to individuals, and that they do not become “pharaonic projects, full of frivolity, ecocide and opacity.”
After being approved in San Lázaro, the reform was sent to the Senate to be ratified.
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