Santa Cruz Village Expansion Project Has Villagers Divided
A meeting is being held tonight in Santa Cruz Village by U.D.P. Stann Creek West Standard Bearer Ivan William concerning the village’s expansion project. Williams says the purpose of the meeting is to clarify certain concerns raised my villagers with regards to the project. He says that he wants to ensure that those who qualify for a plot of land obtain their title under legal circumstances. The village’s chairman Christopher Budna and aide, Vincent Scott, interpret this as political interference as they are alleging that Williams is attempting to take control of the project which commenced in 2017. Monies have been collected, lots identified and the labour commissioner is aware of the project. Williams, however, is asserting that, to his knowledge, there is no land and lots committee which according to Budna was appointed under the advice of the Lands Commissioner and is headed by Scott. After the village council held a meeting on Sunday, persons involved in the project signed a petition in support of the continuing the project under the leadership of Scott and Budna.
Christopher Budna
Christopher Budna, Chairman, Santa Cruz Village Council
“The petition is about that we asked the people here today who they want to continue with this project. If they wanted a new committee of they wanted a village council along with the same lands committee that was appointed by the village council and the rural development officer, Mr. Acosta that was hosted by Mr. Wilbert Vallejos. The people are signing that they want the village council and Mr. Vincent Scott who is the lands chairman and the committee that is the lands committee.”
Diana Humes, Resident, Santa Cruz Village
“We done have our house back here but people are always getting in, and take our money and we are waiting for the lease and the property and we are still waiting for that.”
Diana Humes
Hipolito Novelo
“How long have you been waiting for?”
Diana Humes
“This started more than a year ago. We started with a man name Aroldo, a man who didn’t have any papers, social security; nothing and the chairman put him as the second hand of him. The people heard what the Chairman said about Mr. Aroldo and then he was collecting money from the people about this land because the Chairman put him as his second hand but we still complained that he does not have any papers. Why would we have a man like that? When we see Mr. Aroldo went with a lot of money. Then afterwards, the Chairman, Vincent Budna went from the village. We did not see Mr. Budna, until now we are seeing him. That is why the people are confused. We don’t understand what is happening. Until now he is doing a meeting about this land here when we had problems long time ago. When he left the village, he put Vincent Scott as his second hand. We don’t know the lands committee. We usually see Vincent Scott around the land. We don’t know who are the lands committee.”
Felipe Zetina
Felipe Zetina, Resident, Santa Cruz Village
“We the poor people have been fooled for a very long time because the U.D.P. and P.U.P. are all supported by one group which is the rich family here in Belize. If the U.D.P. or the P.U.P. win, the people who control the country are still the rich people. I do understand that we need change in system. A P.U.P. or a U.D.P. will not change that. But this is what we have now. Hopefully later one people will start to understand that they have the power and they are the one who can stand up and make a better community for themselves.”
Alfredo Pop, Resident, Santa Cruz Village
“Here is Santa Cruz we are facing a lot of problems. He nominate somebody that is not even a Belizean. He is a ‘Guatemaltecan’. What this gentleman did is that he collected monies and I have a receipt here.”
Hipolito Novelo
“He collected your money?”
Alfredo Pop
Alfredo Pop
“He collected my money.”
Hipolito Novelo
“How much did he collect from you?”
Alfredo Pop
“Forty-five dollars for a sketch. That happened to all the people on Santa Cruz. We don’t know how much money that man went with.”
Christopher Budna
“There was a group of people who were grabbing land and selling land and that is the reason I made report over the year. That man was appointed by someone in the Lands Department. I won’t call the name because they know who they are. They had this man doing this business. Every time I went to Belmopan to make an appointment to speak with the Commissioner of Lands. They would never give me an appointment. But every time he goes there, he always gets an appointment. I don’t know with whom. They used to do all this land selling and no one came to me because he himself said that. He bought land. He didn’t involve me when he was buying land. He did not involve anyone. He didn’t involve Dean Barrow, or Mr. Rodwell when they were buying land. They were buying land under cover and when it was stolen and the money was taken from them and he went to Guatemala, then they want the chairman to be guard and responsible so they can point fingers.”
