…But stand divided over the issue

That was the legal battle in court, and outside it was evident that the Mayas were a divided house today. In fact, while their common concerns are over land rights, there were two groups with opposing views. Marion Ali picked up on the sights and sounds of both sides at the Battlefield Park.

Cristina Coc, Spokesperson, Mayan Leaders’ Alliance
“We choose to be united as a Maya people and not separated as a Ketchi or a Mopan people, or a Yucatec people. We are united as a Maya people, no matter the Judases in our midst.”

Reynaldo Ico, Silver Creek Villager
“We are labelled as traitors. We have the right to voice our opinion and people have to learn to respect the opinion of others. If we claim to be leaders we should behave like leaders.”

Marion Ali, Reporting
While inside the courtroom drama was over legal matters, outside at nearby Battlefield Park, the temperatures that were flaring had very little to do with the humidity. Spokesperson of the Mayan Leaders’ Alliance, Cristina Coc and Chairman of the Alcalde’s Association, Ligorio Coy, believe that politics was involved in today’s showing of a separate group of Mayas who oppose their views.

Marion Ali
“You referred to your fellow countrymen, your fellow natives as Judases?”

Cristina Coc
“Certainly they are not being loyal to the cause. They are also Maya people, I recognize that. There’s a lot of ignorance playing within the group, there’s also a lot of manipulation. We see this totally as a strategy on the part of the State. We have heard it rumoured time and time again, but this time around the state is going to do everything to divide the unity that we have enjoyed. Since this struggle began, this is the first time that we’ve have this kind of opposition. It’s a minority—I want to go on the record to say that it’ a minority.”

Ligorio Coy, Chairman, Alcalde’s Association
“I expect this because you wouldn’t get a hundred percent even in your family in your house, you might find difficulties like this. It’s not strange for me and Judas is there betraying us but we will stand firm, we will not keep quiet. We will keep fighting; we will fight for our rights because we are fighting not for me, for the future of my children.”

Marion Ali
“Why do you feel they are not in agreement with the rest of you in this matter?

Ligorio Coy
“Well, maybe they didn’t get the message yet or they did not get answers or maybe they are not thinking for their future children because those parents that have their land for now, they are not thinking about their children whether they will have the land on their days to come. That’s the reason we are here to protect those lands for their children.”

But according to Silver Creek villager, Reynaldo Ico, it is because they have their children in mind they feel the need to relinquish the traditional way of doing things.

Reynaldo Ico
“I heard over the news that thirty-eight Mayan communities want collective land rights as in the case of Santa Cruz and Conejo right now. And I really don’t know if the Maya people were saying that.”

Marion Ali
“But are you saying you don’t want communal land rights?”

Reynaldo Ico
“That is exactly what we are saying here.”

Marion Ali
“How would you prefer to go about it to own your land?”

Reynaldo Ico
“Well, one way we can do that is this same process that we’re doing; bring people to demonstrate to government that here are the people, this is what the people want. What are you going to do with the people’s request because really…”

Marion Ali
“What is the request?”

Reynaldo Ico
“Well, the request would be to get land titles or to get leases through the government system, through the present land administration system. We want development, we want that our children live a better life than we live. Therefore, we are asking for change. Everybody wants change.”

The sun was hot but it didn’t stop the Mayas from celebrating before they departed back to their homes at two o’clock. And while there were mixed feelings among the two groups, their common hope is that in the end they will be given priority over the land they use in their respective communities – whether it be through communal use or individual disbursements. Marion Ali for News Five.