More than 20 protesters occupied the Centro de Gobierno building in San Quintín on Sunday, May 25, demanding that state legislators travel to the municipality to begin impeachment proceedings against Mayor Miriam Elizabeth Cano Núñez. Demonstrators blocked the main entrance with signs and set up a tent camp outside the government offices.
The group threatened to blockade the Transpeninsular Highway near Camalú if legislators failed to respond by the end of the day. Such a blockade would mark the third time this year that protesters have shut down traffic on the highway, the only paved north-south artery connecting the Baja California peninsula. Previous blockades in this corridor have caused hours-long delays for travelers and commercial trucks.
Impeachment Demand Dates to February
Protesters accuse Morena party deputies in the Baja California state legislature of repeatedly stalling a political trial against Cano Núñez. The formal impeachment request was first filed in February. Demonstrators say months have passed without meaningful action from lawmakers, and they want legislators to hold proceedings in San Quintín rather than requiring residents to travel to Mexicali, the state capital located roughly 350 miles to the east.
According to El Imparcial, the occupation also involved residents from several San Quintín communities who are pressing for a financial audit of the municipality’s first-ever city government. San Quintín only became an independent municipality in 2023 after decades as an unincorporated area under the jurisdiction of Ensenada. Protesters allege irregularities in how the new municipal government has managed public funds.
Electricity and Basic Services Also at Stake
The impeachment fight is not the only grievance driving the protest. Hundreds of families in San Quintín neighborhoods, including Del Carmen, Manuel Guillén, and Del Valle, remain without electricity. Residents say they were promised a connection by November, but many are skeptical given what they describe as a pattern of unfulfilled government commitments. Protesters are also demanding progress on potable water access and land title regularization for informal settlements.
San Quintín sits about 190 miles south of the U.S. border on the Pacific coast. The agricultural town is a key stop for travelers driving the length of the peninsula to Cabo San Lucas. Any blockade of the Transpeninsular Highway in this area would force drivers to wait or attempt unpaved detours through rugged terrain.
As of Sunday evening, no response from state legislators had been publicly announced. The story was first reported by Punto Norte and also covered by El Imparcial.