Mexico’s environmental minister, Victor Lichtinger, is trying to slow down sprawl by actually enforcing environmental laws on the books. For example, he has closed or suspended 19 hotel and condo developments, including a 1,400-room complex that would have been built alongside a federally protected sea turtle sanctuary in Cancun. Lichtinger said his moves were meant to be a “signal to entrepreneurs and society that there is law in Mexico, and that the law will be respected, independent of the importance of investment in Mexico.” But Lichtinger may have to give some ground to Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has cooked up plans for at least three huge tourism projects.
