PM Weighs in on Maya Land Tension in Toledo  

Tensions have been high in Toledo District over G.O.B.’s draft Maya Land Tenure Policy. At the start of the week, we took you to Santa Elena Village and Punta Gorda Town where the Toledo Alcaldes Association, the Maya Leaders Alliance and the government’s consultation team were holding simultaneous public discussions. Several village leaders, from Maya communities across the south, have also released video statements rejecting the draft policy. One leader went as far as tearing up the document on camera. Today, reporters asked Prime Minister Briceño to weigh in on the tension in the Toledo.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I am very disappointed that that leader acted that way. It is so unbecoming of that leader and that leader was very shriddled and making all kinds of accusations that if he were to look at what the CCJ has done, the CCJ has praised our government for working forward. We already have the FPIC and we are going through the entire consultation from village to village extensively. Sometimes to the frustration of the Cabinet who may feel that this needs to come, you know there are so many issues to be addressed and that behavior will not bode well in building good will from both sides because you also have a lot of Belizeans, indigenous people that feels differently than what they believe. And so as a responsible government we have to find a compromise that works for everyone.”

 

Paul Lopez

“How do you interpret what they interpret as a restriction to the amount of lands that they would be able to apply for as customary lands?”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We have to come up with something that is workable. We can’t just tell them we will give them a blank check and tek what you want. Obviously that will not work. They might decide they want not only the Toledo District, but the Stann Creek District, who knows. It is important to be able to set some sort of parameters and within those parameters you negotiate. Having set parameters doesn’t mean it cannot be changed; it cannot be made larger or smaller. But something has to be set to start the discussion and I think Minister Dolores, I must commend her for the work that she has been doing, went through great pains to explain to the national assembly that these are not etched in stone. Let us see where in certain areas we may need to extend and bring it a bit smaller but it is also important wherever these villages want to claim a certain amount of land they would have to prove that it has been under customary use with the indigenous people.”