Bullet Tree Residents Protest Against Reissuance of Lands for Housing

Recently, there was a protest in Bullet Tree Falls where Minister Michel Chebat is the Area Representative for Cayo North. The protesters said they were upset that lands that were previously allotted for community projects were being shared out instead for housing to residents. Today, Minister Chebat responded by saying a lot of it is political. He sees greater need for first time Belizeans to own their own piece of land.

Michel Chebat

Michel Chebat, Area Representative, Cayo North

“I understand there’s a little bit of a protest out there and I understand it is some UDP operatives who are heading this. I have asked Lands Department to check into it to see what it is and I’m waiting for information from them. But I want to say this: As part of Plan Belize, we’re on record saying that we were going to try to give as many first-time land owners a piece of land. So I have approached the Lands Department and I have asked them particularly to find land that is available in the village for us to give land to first-time home owners and if this is part of that process, then I’m happy to associate myself with this process.”

Reporter

“So even if the land was previously reserved for community use, you’d prefer to separate it and give it to residents?”

Michel Chebat

“Well, we feel that it is important to have recreational centres. As a matter of fact, we have just undergone putting in new lights in the football field in Bullet Tree. We’re in the process of starting to renovate the basketball court there, which is very close to this location, so the kids will have access. I’ll tell you this: it is important to look back at what has happened in this area. There’s a lot of land grabbing going on in this area, a lot of squatting, so the Lands Department has really had to go in to clean up things that are happening down there.”