Land Meeting in Cotton Tree Thwarted by Belmopan Police
A planned meeting called by land activist Nigel Petillo on Sunday was moved at the last minute to Harmonyville, the community that Petillo established on the George Price Highway. Petillo says he has identified another tract of land and is inviting prospective land owners to squat as a way of owning a piece. Though squatting is illegal, Petillo says it’s the answer for the poor to own property. But the numbers on Sunday fell short amid heavy police presence. Here is News Five’s Isani Cayetano with a report.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
A second meeting of Belizeans interested in owning a piece of land in Cotton Tree had been set for Sunday at ten a.m. Just outside of the community, however, were two police checkpoints where motorists were being turned away from that location.
Emerson Guild
Emerson Guild, Vice President, UNIA
“The officer was sharing with me that if I violate the emergency law, that I would be arrested, but I am not violating a protest law or any of the laws that he described. I do not agree with him. I am here to stand up for the International Convention on Economics, Social and Cultural Rights and the individual, every single individual that they are turning back has a right.”
On Friday, activist Nigel Petillo informed via press conference that another tract of land had been identified within the village and used that platform to invite anyone who wanted to learn more about the availability of the land to head out to Cotton Tree. The meeting never materialized.
Nigel Petillo
Nigel Petillo, Activist
“Due to the harassment of the police it is hard for us to meet at my place, much less at Cotton Tree and have a peaceful discussion about land. So again, I am asking if you guys could assist in sharing this feed because the news have to get out, the word haffi get out. People need fi undastand weh di tek place and we need fi come together as wahn people and start to find dehn solutions to our problems and dis da part ah dat right ya. We have now been made to understand that the said land at Cotton Tree have wahn company that owns the land. Our reason for wanting that land and working that land is because, like we’ve been saying, many land around this country have been neglected and lying around idly and in many cases, no taxes being paid.”
Despite the law being very clear on the issue of squatting, the fact that it is illegal to occupy property that was not purchased or otherwise lawfully acquired, Petillo remains its biggest proponent.
Nigel Petillo
“Squatting has been taking place in this country for decades, if not centuries. Squatting da one ah di only way how most poor people, grassroots people get land eena dis country and there are a lot of people around here who could attest to that and give you many stories about squatting in this country. However, as wahn obedient people we Belizeans we tend to go by di rule of law and many a times the rule of law is designed to control and suppress us, to keep us in a state where dehn dictate when you wahn become or when you wahn have or when you wahn get.”
Lake Independence Area Representative, Cordel Hyde, was also present for the meeting. In speaking with the media, Hyde acknowledged the value of owning land, as well as the fact many Belizeans are below the poverty line.
Cordel Hyde
Cordel Hyde, Area Representative, Lake Independence
“I think it is important for us to be out here. I would have wanted for all Belizeans to be out here to support the cause because I think too often we demonize people. Think people in authority demonize people who come up with great ideas, who come up with movement ideas, but because it’s not their ideas they can’t embrace it. I think our leaders don’t understand that you can lead from the back, you don’t have to always lead from the front. It’s called servant leadership, you don’t have to discard ideas that’s not yours. You don’t have to attack people who bring ideas that’s different. You have to be able to recognize the value and the importance and the relevance of ideas and the truth of the matter is that no right thinking Belizean can deny the fact that there are tens of thousands of people in this country who noh have no land, who need land because land da your vehicle outta poverty. If yoh got land yoh noh poor, if yoh poor yoh noh got land and half a di people eena dis country poor.”
Despite the challenges that Petillo and his followers are faced with, he says that there are persons who are willing to provide capital for the purchase of land elsewhere.
Nigel Petillo
“We have people who interested eena investing eena dis movement as far as making money available for buying land. It means you, the grassroots people, all three, four, five thousand ah unu, unu could come together mek wi put wi monies together and we go go buy wahn huge tract of land pan di highway somewhere.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
