Andre Perez Stresses Consultation Amid Caye Caulker Fuel Depot Concerns

Residents of Caye Caulker are expressing concerns over a proposed fuel station project near the popular Split. Many are worried about potential environmental damage and the lack of proper community consultation. Property owners, especially expatriates, feel they were not adequately informed about the project.

Area Representative for Belize Rural South, Andre Perez, told News 5 today, “There’s no way that we’re stopping to putting a gas station there and other amenities that serve the community there. I don’t want to say I’m in favour of it.” 

Perez added, “I think what we need to do is consultation, and that’s what they have been following everything by the books; they have reached out to the council requesting the no-objection support there… As far as I’m concerned, what they’re doing is following everything as per required by law.”

Mark Leslie, the Director of Petrol Alliance Group Holdings, assured residents on Thursday that all necessary clearances, including environmental approval, had been obtained. “We have done major research before even going into this project, and we actually went ahead and applied for all our clearances and every other thing with the department as well,” Leslie said.

Despite these assurances, residents are also worried about the potential difficulty of securing insurance for properties near the proposed site. Leslie responded, explaining that local insurance providers had no objections to coverage and that alternative options would be available if necessary. “None of them had any objections… the worst-case scenario would be higher premiums or higher deductibles,” he stated.