Introduction to the Lázaro Cárdenas Plan
In the heart of Oaxaca’s Mixteca region, specifically in Santiago Juxtlahuaca, the Mexican Government’s Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) launched the Lázaro Cárdenas Plan. This ambitious program aims to intervene, maintain, and conserve over a thousand kilometers of federal and state roads in the historically marginalized region regarding connectivity.
Leadership and Objectives
The kick-off ceremony was led by SICT head Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina, following instructions from President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. Governor Salomón Jara Cruz emphasized that this program addresses a significant historical debt in infrastructure for the people of Mixteca.
Juxtlahuaca: A Symbol of Resistance and Transformation
Juxtlahuaca, a symbol of Mixteca’s resistance and dignity, now also represents the start of profound transformation in the regional road network. Esteva Medina highlighted this during the event.
Investment and Scope
With an investment of 5,900 million pesos between 2025 and 2027, the Lázaro Cárdenas Plan includes routine maintenance tasks like bacheo and full reconstruction of certain stretches, some with hydraulic concrete, based on technical justification.
Benefits and Principles
The plan not only connects communities but also activates local economies, reduces travel times, and facilitates access to basic services. Esteva Medina emphasized that these efforts align with the government’s fundamental principles: “for the well-being of all, prioritizing the poorest; with the people, everything, without the people nothing.”
Current Progress and Projects
Currently, five priority stretches are underway with an investment of 1,367 million pesos, targeting 425 kilometers rehabilitated by 2025. The interventions include:
- Ruta 190 and 125: Nochixtlán–Huajuapan de León (88 km, 347 mdp)
- Tehuacán–Chazumba–Huajuapan de León (53.6 km, 214.4 mdp)
- Huajuapan–Tlacotepec–Juxtlahuaca–El Carrizal–Putla de Guerrero (160.3 km, 425 mdp)
- Putla de Guerrero–Pinotepa Nacional (123 km, 374 mdp)
- Yucudaa–Putla (routine maintenance of 145 km, 6.7 mdp)
Some of these stretches have already been completed, with works including the rehabilitation of hydrological structures and talus reconstructions, similar to those carried out by Caminos y Puentes Federales (CAPUFE) between Oaxaca and Nochixtlán.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the Lázaro Cárdenas Plan? It’s an ambitious program by Mexico’s SICT to intervene, maintain, and conserve over a thousand kilometers of federal and state roads in Oaxaca’s Mixteca region, historically marginalized regarding connectivity.
- Who launched the plan? The kick-off was led by Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina, the head of SICT, following instructions from President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
- What are the benefits of this plan? The Lázaro Cárdenas Plan connects communities, activates local economies, reduces travel times, and facilitates access to basic services.
- What is the investment and timeline for this plan? The plan has an investment of 5,900 million pesos between 2025 and 2027.
- What are the current projects under this plan? Five priority stretches are currently underway, targeting 425 kilometers rehabilitated by 2025.
