Belize City family put out on street
They say the worst conflicts in life are those within families. Today, one family squabble ended badly for a number of Belize City residents.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
This afternoon, Dorita Cacho and her children were forcibly put out of the house they have been living in for the past seventeen years. The family was evicted following a court order that was carried out by the police. According to Cacho, the problem stems from a land dispute between her common law husband, Theodore Augustine, and his deceased brother’s common law wife.
Dorita Cacho, Evicted
“And she gone claim the land, get papers fi (for) the land. I noh know how she get papers so quick, cause my gentleman gone in already and he neva get the full papers.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So your husband noh have no papers fi this land?”
Dorita Cacho
“No, he got receipt that he mi gone in fi (to) apply for the place, but they neva even tell he that somebody the apply too or whatever. They give he a stamp, he pay the stamp and everything, fill in the application and everything fi the place.”
Cacho claims she was not even aware that they would have to move until the police showed up telling her that she had to go. Cacho refused to move and had no choice but to see her possessions be dismantled and put out in the rain.
Jacqueline Woods
“Now when the police came here, they showed you this eviction warrant. Why did you decide not to follow the court orders?”
Dorita Cacho
“Because we noh have no where fi (to) go put fi we house and we deh yah fi so much years and the effort weh we done put into the place, the amount of work weh (that) we put in this place and the money weh we spend fi got this place like this, dah noh (it’s not a) lee bit a money. You know weh I could do with that money fi my children? My son the goh dah college right now, I could have put that up fi my son, but we need nice place weh we could walk with the children.”
Cacho says she does not know where the family will be spending the night. But regardless of who is right or wrong in this family affair, one this is certain, it is the innocent children who will suffer. Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.
News 5 was unable to speak with Theodore Augustine because he was reportedly at the Lands Department in Belmopan trying to see what can be done to get the family back in the house.
