In March, Mexican armed forces seized a port facility owned by Alabama-based Vulcan Materials in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The occupation lasted more than a month and intensified a long-running property battle between Mexico and the company.
After overwhelming pressure from the U.S. government, fueled by Alabama’s senators, Mexico’s President Andrés López relinquished control of the property.
Now, Mexico is trying to buy the port facility from Vulcan for $385 million.
“The company said it had not yet received the president’s proposal or responded to the idea,” the Associated Press reported. “In papers filed for a case before an international arbitration panel, Vulcan Materials valued the almost 6,000-acre property, located just south of the resort town of Playa del Carmen, at $1.9 billion.”
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Alabama’s congressional delegation led an effort to send a message to López on behalf of the U.S. government.
Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, along with U.S. Reps. Gary Palmer, Terri Sewell, Dale Strong, and Jerry Carl met with Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma at the Mexican Embassy in Washington.
“This forcible seizure of private property is unlawful and unacceptable,” Britt said in March. “Mexico should be more focused on going after the cartels than law-abiding businesses and hardworking people.”
Vulcan Materials told the AP it hasn’t seen Mexico’s proposed $385 million acquisition.
“Before I leave (office), this is going to be resolved, one way or another,” López said.
Tuberville said he called on President Biden to take action last year when Mexico ordered Vulcan Materials to shut down operations at one of its mining tracts.
“For more than 30 years, Vulcan Materials Company has operated a limestone quarry in Mexico that has created good jobs both in Mexico and in Alabama,” he said. “Last year, I urged President Biden to confront President López Obrador about the Mexican government’s aggression toward Vulcan Materials.”
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
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