In early February, the government of Quintana Roo, led by Mara Lezama, proposed changing the name of the municipality of Solidaridad to "Playa del Carmen," referring to the famous coastal locality. Behind this proposal lies a motivation linked to former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.
This initiative has generated various reactions from internet users and residents of Solidaridad. Previously, during her term as mayor, Lezama attempted to change the name of Benito Juárez to "Cancún" in order to boost tourism in the region. In the current case, the name change is based on a political background dating back to the Salinas administration and the social program led by Salinas de Gortari.
Aside from the political burden, the proposal seeks to strengthen geographic identity and enhance tourism promotion at the international and state levels. The Riviera Maya Hotels Association has expressed its support for this proposed name change, considering it beneficial for the residents of the municipality by enhancing the tourism brand of Playa del Carmen.
Currently, Congress is evaluating the proposal for the name change, which has the backing of the municipal council and the president of Solidaridad, Estefanía Mercado. According to Arístides Rodrigo Guerrero, a law professor at UNAM, the name of Solidaridad was chosen to root it in the population, but now is the time to give this municipality the name it has always deserved, Playa del Carmen.
