Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Tours the South

The Ministry responsible for Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, under the leadership of Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, and the Minister of State, Elvia Vega, continues its latest tour of the Southern communities. The visit is to further the consultations on the F-PIC. protocol. Here is a look at the Ministry’s weekend trip down south, with comments from Minister Garcia and Minister Oscar Requeña, courtesy the Government Press Office.

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs

Dolores Balderamos Garcia

“This is the third time this year that Minister Vega and myself have come down to the South to consult with the Maya villages of the South. Pleasant Sunday morning to everyone; it is wonderful to be here in the beautiful village of San Marcos, Toledo. We are here, number one to reach out to the communities, two to say that we are serious about the implementation of the Caribbean Court of Justice consent order, and thirdly of course to share information about what we call the Free Prior Informed Consultation Process. F-PIC means Free Prior Informed Consent. But, we call it Free Prior Informed Consultation Protocol because it is a consultation process. Basically, what it means is that government or a private entity like a company or a private owner, before coming into a Maya community and carrying out a project, we should consult. This F-PIC protocol is putting in writing our responsibility to consult, and our respect to the Maya communities.”

Oscar Requeña

Oscar Requeña, Area Representative for Toledo West

“As a government, we have to reach out to the communities. We have to sit with them. We have to talk with them. We have to listen to them. That allows us to be in a better position to be informed, to be able to make better decisions and at the end of the day to take into account the will of the people in the developmental process of our country.”