Are Racism and Land Ownership at a Crossroad in Toledo?
Erlinda Nunez
The race card, as we’ve mentioned in our coverage of this incident, is on prominent display, having been played by Rupert Myles in the wake of his detention on Saturday. His opinion that he is the victim of racial discrimination by the Mayas is a sentiment that is also echoed elsewhere in Toledo. Outside of the courtroom on Wednesday, onlookers voiced similar points of view on the volatile issues of land ownership and racism.
Erlinda Nunez, Resident, Punta Gorda
“We need land too. So we cannot get land out here because the Mayan people are out here, we cannot get land in the villages because Mayan people are there too. So what is left for the rest of the country? What is left? I don’t think that we should focus this on government because this is happening right here in town. This is happening right here in the villages. This young lady has a story, a personal story that she talks about her husband being attacked because he is not black, he is not Mayan but he was Hispanic. So I think you should listen to her too because it’s not only a black thing. It’s a Mestizo thing, it’s an East Indian thing, it’s anything as long as you’re not Mayan, you are violating when you go in the villages.”
The group of Santa Cruz residents and Coc will go back to court in July. There are two others that were not present in court for the arraignment.
I am speaking as a Garifuna. We will always be treated this way because we have no knowledge of self.We can’t even unite for a day.In no way do i condone what happened to this Young Man and those responsible should be held accountable.That been said,let’s not use this issue for political gain.
These people live on this land from before Christ was on the earth but there is no excuse for them to behave the way they did.
If they fell there was some injustice the same court of law that they appealed to is the same court of law they could have come to again.
I guess those that I believe have been wronged by the current system have now become perpetrators of crimes. This sort of Klanish behavior by the Mayas will cause them to lose the public support they now enjoy.
Talking about LAND? i believe Belize is a free country and full of freedom..
im a proud citizen of pieni toledo first of all..since i was growing up, up to day there is a lot o land that is in PG that is high bushy and not one day it was clean…were talking about VOA area, Magoon area way to the back of indianville, new city area by TCC and Joe Taylor area and especially the Garifuna Reserve…yes CERRO! Over the past years “most” Garifuna ppl neva go clean there land that belong to them…if them no want it (i think) then mek then give it to someone else that need it… Look at the Garifuna reserve in PG! only a few ppl are living there( well since 2010 or so one and two start to go there) but before that time the only ppl that use to live there and still live there ever since da the entrance of cerro and after that Mr. Rodney, Miss Arzu and miss miss arzu by the water pump and goes way up by BDF Camp.. after that cerro still almost look the same in the 80’s…u know how much acres a land the de that most garifuna entitled to and no d use it? land behind TCC? behind indian ville area magoon and VOA? im not saying we all cant get land da village now u know but there are a huge acres of land that are there in pg that is wasting!!! one and two garifuna ppl d use there piece for farming. but when you ask the who own that piece n that piece.. o them de da fu ppl da states…why ppl weh de da states have land ya ina we town (although da garifuna) n no the think fu come back no d use it!!! there are alot of pg garifuna ppl still the RENT other garifuna or other culture ppl house!! most ppl are selling land and lots to foreigners because we belizeans too greedy fu money…then we belizeans cant afford it to buy it because they are too expensive…we all mean to one another belizeans.. so i hope that the mayor and the area rep do some hard working on the pg lands mein because vast amount of lots and lands are entitle to pll that doesnt need it and give to the garifuna ppl that need it… make we see some better development to cerro hill, new city area behind indian ville area and VOA area…Garifuna ppl unu do some farming and riase animals like before. in the 80’s when we use to go buy vegies da pg market who do we see? we see the garifuna ppl the sell to we indian and other cultures vegies and sea food.. there were alot of garifuna living in pg but now who do we see selling vegies meat and sea products da pg market…moslty we indian and spanish!!!! so da weh happen to we garifuna ppl??? thats my question? im a half mek indian and garifuna and i love the both cultures!!! i love mi caldo and i love mi hudut and sahoa!!!! the pg indians them no raciest…especially weh live da town… this is a modern world and not the 60’s any more… all a we d change culture…. so the people that are talking about land….its all ina we back yard bushy and the wait fu we….thats y we vote for people to get in power to help us get a piece of land that should be entitled to us…its just like you garifuna ppl with unu law about cerro hill.. an indian CANT go live ina cerro hill area without the consent of a garifuna that owns it…if one a we indian just go live de without the permission…unu chase we out too….some indian ppl yes live there but by the consent owner of the land.. thats a different story..its by permission them the live de…so why unu cant abide by our laws too???