Jaguar Paw wants NICH to return visitor fees

While Courtenay’s case is straightforward and the contract will be re-drawn as agreed to by the NICH board, there is a new twist. Kaseke and Smith are arguing that since the site has not been declared an archaeological reserve, then all the visitor fees to the cave that Jaguar Paw handed over to NICH over the past few years, should be returned to Jaguar Paw. Courtenay says this is a tough argument to sell.

Eamon Courtenay
“Certain fees were paid by tourists, from 2006 to enter the caves. And they, Jaguar Paw, are commencing this claim to get back that money from the National Institute of Culture and History. Understand what they are saying; tourists came to Belize, went to their resort and paid NICH money to visit the Belizean caves. Jaguar Paw is now saying that NICH should never have collected that and that they, Jaguar Paw, want that money back; 2006, 2007, and 2008. Nobody knows where these tourists are, nobody knows how Jaguar Paw is going to get that money back to the tourists. Their case is that is damages that they are entitled to. It is preposterous and ridiculous for them to believe that they are entitled to that money. That has nothing to do with my client and if they are going to proceed with that, I guess they are going to proceed with that against NICH who is represented by Miss Lois Young.”