e-territorialization of the Quintana Roo coast: the case of Playa del Carmen

Abstract

Since 1902 (date of creation) Quintana Roo, Mexico territory has been the architect of a range of events that have had repercussions on the appropriation, use and management of the natural commons within it. For this reason, this article focuses on analyzing the political, socio-cultural and economic variations and how these have impacted the landscape and the transformation of the link with the natural commons. In particular, the case of Playa del Carmen is analyzed as an example of what has happened in the eastern coast of the state. In this sense, it can be seen that in the first six decades of the twentieth century, the economic dynamics revolved around the use of natural timber and non-timber elements (gum cutting), whether by individuals, exploiting companies, ejidos or their collectives. At the beginning of the 1970s, there was an abrupt change, when federal public policy promoted tourism as the driving force of the economic system, first in Cancun and then in the late 20th century in the Riviera Maya, which led to urban growth, changes in land use and land tenure. This study aims to provide an overview of the deterritorialization of coastal communities from an environmental and oral history perspective.