Villalobos charging fee for admission to Tenacatita Beach

Villalobos

TENACATITA, Jalisco, Mexico - An article in El Occidental (LINK: El Occidental) says that Jose Villalobos - the wealthy Guadalajara developer who violently seized the Tenacatita Beach area and evicted nearly 800 persons August 4, 2010 with a force of 130 armed men - is now defying an order by PROFEPA to open to the beach to the public.

And in the same story, it is reported that he is charging for people to enter (100 pesos per car and 20 pesos per person). In addition, there apparently are toilet facilities now available - if people are willing to pay.

Admission is only granted after an interrogation by the state police guarding the acreage seized by Villalobos.

First, interrogation, then pay a fee

Since Villalobos has not allowed free public access, the story says a notario will be dispatched to witness that the beach is still closed to document what is going on. Further legal action - filed by the state government, might follow.

Villalobos claims he owned 42 hectares of Tenacatita, including the beach on the bayside and much of the Pacific Beach side, too. When he seized the land, however, he took more than twice that and is denying access to all the people who formerly lived there - or who say they have a claim of ownership of land in the area.

Many non-Mexican citizens hold federal titles to the lands now controlled by armed guards and police under the direction of Villalobos. Lawsuits against Villalobos are working their way through the court system in Guadalajara.

Since Villalobos seized the land, most of the structures that had been in place - palapas, restaurants, bathroom facilities and tiendas - were all bulldozed

Destroying buildings on Tenacatita Beach