San Pedranos protest North Ambergris land sale

The town is better known for its high standard of living than its political activism, but today residents of San Pedro were on the march. News Five’s Marion Ali travelled to Ambergris Caye to see what the fuss was all about.

Marion Ali, Reporting
The usual laid back attitude of San Pedro Town was momentarily interrupted this morning by the sights and sounds of people protesting government’s move to sell portions of northern Ambergris Caye. The announcement was made publicly on October thirtieth by Prime Minister Said Musa.

Prime Minister Said Musa (October 30th, 2007)
“What happened in Cabinet was that there was a general discussion about a proposal to purchase the BELTRAIDE land by a group of U.S. investors, this eight thousand and odd acres of land, and also the Social Security portion—but they will have to deal with S.S.B. about that—for a major world class resort in Northern Ambergris. As you know, we’ve been trying to sell this land for many years now, several years—at least two—and we finally have a proposal, a clear, firm proposal to purchase this land as we put out in our release for thirty-four million dollars, the BELTRAIDE land. In that discussion, there was a cursory proposal also mentioned about another group of Koreans wanting to purchase some two thousand seven hundred acres of land on the lagoon side.”

With the sale of that parcel to the Koreans, a Canadian company has now reportedly proposed to buy the remaining five thousand acres. It’s a deal that Area Representative for Belize Rural South Manuel Heredia said was never discussed with him.

Manuel Heredia, Area Representative, Belize Rural South
“We were not happy about the three thousand acres that they have already sold I think at this point, but to refrain from the sale of the other five thousand acres.

Marion Ali
“Sir, with due respect, the Prime Minister made this announcement almost two months ago at the end of October. Why are you just now having this protest?”

Manuel Heredia
“Like what I said before, with the three thousand acres all of us knew that there is very little that can be done, but then the five thousand acres that is in play, we want to send the message that we do not want that to happen.

Marion Ali
“Are you satisfied with the numbers that turned out today?”

Manuel Heredia
“Well yes, whatever numbers that came today would be okay because it is just a message that we want to send to Belmopan that we are not happy about the way they deal with things.”

The protest was spearheaded by the San Pedro Business Association and the Tour Guide Association. For them it’s a question of land for the burgeoning town.

Elito Arceo, President, San Pedro Business Assoc.
“If you look at how this place is actually growing, there is no more place for expansion where the town presently sits and the land was acquired for that. We don’t even have a place to bury our dead. That’s a couple issues right? Or for anymore schools or hospitals or hurricane shelters, look at where we live. And that is our land for the locals, this is our issue with this particular sale.”

Philip Leslie, President, San Pedro Tour Guide Assoc.
“The amount they sold, that three thousand acres for, if you subdivide that into smaller areas and sell it to the local people, you make more money. So if money was their issue I think they need to go back and learn mathematics.”

Marion Ali
“Hasn’t land been sold in this fashion before?”

Philip Leslie
“That doesn’t make it right. I feel like the people in the Cabinet and the House of Representatives should really listen to the local people. … This is the sentiment of all people living in San Pedro. And when I say people living in San Pedro, are people that have made San Pedro their home. People that come from P.G., people that come from Stann Creek, people that come from Cayo, Orange Walk, Corozal, all over Belize. Belize is for Belizeans.”

Marion Ali
“So how do you explain only a handful of people making it to this protest?”

Philip Leslie
“When we made our meeting, our time had been very short to be able to cater and go to all of the people that are involved. A lot of people are supporting us.”

San Pedro Town Mayor, Elsa Paz agrees that with an influx of Belizeans from other areas of the country and the growing native-born population on the island, space is becoming a problem.

Elsa Paz, Mayor, San Pedro
“We have to go the northside, that’s the only land that government has left there for local people and now they’re selling it to foreign investors. Where will our children go in the future. Where will they have a piece of land? Nowhere, because they’ve been selling everything.”

Marion Ali
“But how serious can San Pedranos be if they’re gonna have such a delayed reaction and turn out in such few numbers?”

Elsa Paz
“Well, what happened, I don’t believe its few numbers. This is the first protest ever in San Pedro and I was really impressed about it. As I mentioned, we, the Area Rep and myself, we could have spearheaded this at the time when the Prime Minister went publicly and said he was gonna sell this land, but it was gonna look more like a political demonstration because we are the opposition, so we didn’t want to spearhead that.”

Marion Ali
“Could it have been more effective had this protest taken place two months ago when the announcement was first made?”

Elsa Paz
“Well, I do believe so. I believe if people had reacted at that time we could have stopped government from selling that three thousand. … Yes it was said publicly by the Prime Minister last two months, but people didn’t react at the moment but now people are really upset of what is happening.”

“Most of the people are business people and most of the businesses they have big loans to be paid at the different banks and people are more concerned about making money because at the end of the month they have to be paying these big loans. They were concerned about this land, but they didn’t take it that serious and today they are serious about it, they are upset, and that’s why we had this protest.”

Meanwhile, Leslie says the islanders have asked Area Representative Heredia to raise their concern at tomorrow’s House Meeting in Belmopan. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.