Former Government Chair of the Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission Turns Land Agent

Lisel Alamilla

Tonight, the Maya Leaders Alliance, Julian Cho Society, and Toledo Alcaldes Association are speaking out against the former Chair of the Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission, Lisel Alamilla.  According to the three groups, Alamilla is reportedly representing private interests in thousands of acres of land within the indigenous territory of Indian Creek Village, despite being aware that the C.C.J. Consent Order applies to all Maya lands, including those currently privately held. The release says, “Miss Alamilla represents that she is working along with Flora and Fauna International, an international wildlife conservation organization. Together, they are calling on the Maya village of Indian Creek to “cease immediately” their livelihood activities on their traditional lands to give way to private interests.”  The M.L.A., J.C.S., and T.A.A. say that “Alamilla irresponsibly asserts that the area of over twelve thousand acres is “private property and not Communal Lands”….the lands in Indian Creek, prima facie, form part of customary Maya Lands.  These efforts are aimed at severing Q’eqchi livelihood relations with their traditional lands – a part of a global problem to rid indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, often promoted under the guise of conservation and pristine forests!”   They refer to Alamilla’s role as a campaign to intimidate and harass Indian Creek villagers and acknowledge the troubled history with Alamilla saying, “it is widely known that the implementation process under Miss Alamilla was tumultuous, often criticized by the Maya people as lacking respect and good faith.” The release ends by noting that the Government of Belize, the Caribbean Court of Justice, and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights have been apprised of this escalating attack on the Q’eqchi Maya of Indian Creek.