Briceño offers olive branch to Chalillo opponents

And while we were talking to the Minister of Environment, we asked him if he had any message for those persons and groups who fought so hard against the Chalillo dam, now that the project is about to commence construction.

Johnny Briceño, Min. of Nat. Resources/Environment

“First of all, we certainly appreciate that they took the time and the effort to bring to the Chalillo project to the forefront, or to the minds of all Belizeans, they played an important role. But I would like to assure them that we from the Department of the Environment from our ministry, we have done everything that is required from the law. The NEAC went through the process, we had the consultations, they signed a compliance plan. They still felt that more needed to be done, so they went to the courts. They have lost all the way up to the Appeals Court. But I just wanted to assure them that we love this country as much as they do.”

The Chalillo project still faces a judicial appeal to the Privy Council, as well as continued political pressure in Canada against B.E.L.’s parent company, Fortis.