PM Chimes in on Yemeri Grove/Laguna Land Dispute

Prime Minister John Briceño

The land dispute between Yemeri Grove and Laguna villages is in the news for a third consecutive night. This is because it is somewhat creating a division within the country as tensions continue to rise. It is a topic that came up in cabinet on Tuesday, for which the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs are looking into as the government adheres to the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice on Maya communal land rights, but respects the rights of all Belizeans.  Today, Prime Minister John Briceño echoed the words of Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia – it’s one country and we are all Belizeans – and that the P.U.P. will not allow the balkanization of the country.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“It is unfortunate what is happening that we are starting to have this division between the indigenous people, the Mayas and the rest of our citizens. There’s a ruling by the CCJ and we have to abide by it. Now we have to see how we can manoeuvre and live side by side as neighbours, as one people, as Belizeans. There is one country and I could assure you that our government will not give in to no balkanization. The Mayas and the Creoles, the Hispanics, the Chinese, everybody needs to understand there is one government, there is one country, there is one people and that applies down south. Now what we discussed yesterday is to ensure that we can have a quick response team that whenever we have any of these instances happening that the police, people from the lands department, forestry department can move out there immediately. The lands department with their maps to show where the lines, the delineation is between the villages, the village boundaries. And where it doesn’t exist, then we need to be able to tell them listen everybody needs to move until we can set what are going to be the boundaries. So pretty much that’s what we are doing. Cabinet has agreed that sometime before, hopefully before the end of the year, we want to set a full date to be able to discuss the Maya Land Policy – how it is going to be implemented, how it is going to work and to do it in such a way where we don’t divide the country. I repeat again, a People’s United Party government will not stand by, will not allow the balkanization of our country.”