Trial Farm Resident Wants Consideration for Land He Has Been Cleaning and Has Applied For

On Monday, we shared the story of Anibal Martinez, a cane cutter and resident of Trial Farm Village who said that he had been the caretaker of a private property adjacent to the land identified as the venue for the new fire station. Martinez told us that he and his family thought for all these years that the two parcels of land were one private property, and they have been keeping the entire area clean. Then when he found out that the parcel of land was not part of the private property he is taking care of, his common-law-wife applied for a lease so they could build a house on it for their nine children. He said her application was accepted, but then, they found out that the same piece of land was going to be used to construct a fire station. So, now Martinez wants the government to give them some type of consideration for the many years that they have been keeping the land clean. Here’s his story.

Anibal Martinez, Resident, Trial Farm

“Mr. Cordel gave an okay that she can apply [for] the land to get a lease.”

Anibal Martinez

Marion Ali

“That can be cancelled.”

Anibal Martinez

“Okay, I didn’t know that, but then my labour. I’m a squatter but I had it clean and no government, neither this one or the other one never gave me a little bit of gasoline for me to put in my truck to go and throw away the dirt that was on the parcel [of land].”

Marion Ali

“What do you use the land for?”

Anibal Martinez

“This is not mine. That one, I was going to do my house on it or something because I have kids. All I’m saying, my work. I work – you won’t get a piece of land so clean in so much years that – I was a squatter as they say, but I was cleaning the land.”

Prime Minister John Briceño responded to our query by explaining that the land was assigned for the fire station as a “public purpose” for the Trial Farm community and that the Area Representative, Ramon Cervantes will address Martinez’s concerns.