Gustavo Requena is New Director of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, TAA Objects

Gustavo Requena is the new director of the Office of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. The announcement was made today via a press release. The ministry says that Requena joined the ministry on March eighteenth after what it described as a transparent recruitment process. According to the ministry, Requena has a deep-rooted connection to indigenous communities. Requena hails from a Maya background, offering invaluable firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities confronting indigenous groups. The ministry says his upbringing provides a unique perspective essential for this role. But the Toledo Alcaldes Association does not feel that way. The association fired off a release this evening, saying that the Maya people vehemently denounce nepotism within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs. The association says “His appointment, particularly in the absence of any consultation with Belize’s Indigenous Peoples’ representatives, the Maya communities, and their representatives, coupled with his direct familial relationship to the Area Representative of Toledo West, Minister Oscar Requena, is a total failure in building trust on this Government.”