…And claim cacao growers are trying to create a rift among them
The other hot button topic at the conference was the releases sent out by the Toledo Cacao Grower’s Association. According to the T.C.G.A., the Maya Leaders Alliance and Toledo Alcalde Association had not fully consulted with the villagers before acting on their behalf. They also say that the communal land system would not work in the development of their community and instead wanted individual land ownership. According to the M.L.A. and T.A.A., the rift that the T.C.G.A. is trying to create within the Maya villages reeks of government interference… and noted that a number of cacao farmers, some of whom were present today, had not even been consulted before they sent out their letters.
Gregory Ch’oc, Chair, Maya Leaders Alliance
“I met with members of the executive of T.C.G.A. and one of them said plain to me that is the agenda of the two guys, we were never consulted.”
Gregorio Coy, Chair, Toledo Alcalde Assn.
“I would like to know how many cacao farmers are here. Are you informed of this situation by the Cacao Grower’s Association?”
Crowd
“No.”
Gregorio Coy
“I believe the Cacao Grower’s Association has no role to play in every community, that is the reason we elected our Alcalde.”
Gregory Ch’oc
“We know that Minister Coy has his hands in the latest move to create mischief. Since Minister Coy is representing the government, we interpret this to be the official policy of the government towards the Mayas. This is nothing new; we have experienced this sort of pettiness before. If you can recall in 2006, Beatrice Canelo. The list of signatures are from San Pedro Colombia, the village of Minister Coy. If, and I have to answer this quite frankly, we are not demanding or arm twisting any community who may want to be left alone, who may say well’ our political leaders are addressing our concerns with regards to land. We have no problem with that, but San Pedro Colombia population is one thousand four hundred. Are these people going to be the voice of the one thousand four hundred? That is the question I ask. What about the one thousand people that live in San Pedro Columbia? Who is providing a voice for them?”
Alfonso Cal, Member, Toledo Cacao Farmers Association
“If we get the protection that the lawsuit is asking from the Supreme Court, it will not harm the cacao farmers or take away their plantation. In fact, by securing Mayan land rights it will allow Mayan farmers to plant without fear of losing their plantation like I did. That is why I am annoyed about the useless distraction that the T.C.G.A. is causing.”
Antoinette Moore, Attorney for Mayas
“Practically speaking, if anything happens between now and the time we get to trial, if people come—if anybody comes to you and tries to say something to threaten you about this case or drive you or do anything, I think you should make sure Mr. Coy knows from the Alcalde’s Association, and make sure Ms. Froila and the people from Maya Leaders Association knows and make sure I know. I want to make a list so that the judge knows what the government did with the three extra months he gave them.”
Gregory Ch’oc
“I challenge the mischief makers to bring those that they represent to this very place and let them speak… let them speak because I don’t understand what they are trying to say here. They are giving mix messages… do they want their land or they do not want their land? That’s what I don’t understand. That’s what the fight has been about; for the community tog et ownership of their land. We’ve never said it has to be either or either. It’s a choice, that is what we have said.”
In this latest constitutional claim, the Maya Leaders Alliance, the Toledo Alcalde Association and the now twenty-two other claimants are asking that government refrain from carrying out any activities on Maya lands without the consent of the villagers and until they develop a mechanism under which Maya villages can apply to have their communal lands protected and titled.
