Andre Perez Says Public Should Have Access to Beaches

On Thursday night, Caye Caulker’s Chairlady, Seleny Villanueva-Pott, issued a stern warning to property owners determined to block public roads and beaches. Her remarks followed a confrontation earlier this week between her council and a resident over the removal of a wooden barricade on a public road. Today, Area Representative Andre Perez echoed her sentiments. But are these property owners feeling empowered by the lack of enforcement from authorities? We asked Perez.

 

Andre Perez, Area Rep., Belize Rural South

“That specific incident that occurred in Caye Caulker is unfortunate, but it highlights the issue we have been tackling. Again, it is not only enforcement, the laws state that certain waterfrontage, anywhere, including rivers, there are certain areas that is public. But we have to highlight that we need to cooperate and work with one another. Caye Caulker is a very small island and there is always grappling for space. There is nowhere that any space should be closed off to the public, no waterfront that should be closed off to the public. But, it is not only Caye Caulker, it is Ambergris Caye and even in Placencia we are having these issues as well where they have private investors coming in and believe these areas are designed just for their guests. We need to make that clear out there that the beach or sea front is public access anywhere. That goes not only for private individuals who want to close of their properties, but investors and businesspeople, resorts, restaurants, everything.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Are these private investors emboldened by a lackluster response from authorities, including the area rep and the council?”

 

Andre Perez

“I would not want to address it as a lackluster response. I think the point where we start off is that we have to tackle the problem. It is unfair to throw it to the authorities that we are not enforcing. We are saying that what we have in front of us is something that we have developed for years, that we are trying to fix. We have to get to the root of the problem.”