This work analyzes the influence of the government-aid programs PROCAMPO, Crédito a la Palabra and Alianza para el Campo, on deforestation, as well as other factors that ímpact this process, in an area near the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. The study comprised two different scales: a regional one that included 39 ejidos, plus one local scale comprising the Unidad y Trabajo ejido. The effect of government aid differed according to the specific program, the period of analysis and the spatial scale. The Crédito a la Palabra program resulted in an increase in deforestation during 1990-1993 at both regional and local scales. However, between 1994 and 1998 it has an opposite effect at a regional scale, while locally no relationship could be detected. At a local scale the ejidatarios that received more funding from PROCAMPO caused less deforestation, and at a regional scale no relationship was apparent. No association was detected between Alianza para el Campo and deforestation at any scales. Ejido size and number of farmers at a regional scale, distance to crop fields, the time of becoming a farmer, age of the head of household, and household size, were all contributing factors found to affect the deforestation process.