Big Falls Acalde Says Wrong Message Being Given to Mayan People

As you heard, Choko says villagers of Big Falls are prepared to continue paying their taxes to the government as they have been doing for decades. According to Choko, residents are of the view that paying taxes will lead to increased infrastructural development in their community and access to finances from lenders.  He contends that alcaldes under the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Toledo Alcalde Association are not taking the right message to their people. Here is how he puts it.

Eulalio Choko

Eulalio Choko, Alcalde, Big Falls Village

“How much Alcaldes do take the message, or what they are hearing from this MLA or this group, to their village and get the consent from them that everybody is on board? Like I said, I have attended meetings with Mr. Greg Choc, the Commissioner now, and it was explained to them in their own language, the Kekchi language, the Kekchi Maya and you know surprisingly these people do not understand their own dialect. I have to say dialect because Kekchi Maya is not an official language. I know the Mopan Maya in an official language, but not Kekchi. But I am saying, talking in Kekchi, explaining everything to them, and they still don’t understand. So, how can these people send the right message to these people? And there is where I have, you know, I am not happy with that, because these alcaldes take the wrong message to their people. Now, in my case, I will not dictate to my people. I will not take them down to the burying ground alive, none at all.”