Mayan Leaders Alliance dispute is with government

The Maya Leaders Alliance has been very vocal regarding the recent Environmental Impact Assessment consultation held by US Capital in Sundaywood Village. On Monday News Five spoke to Cristina Coc, the spokesperson for the MLA and she said that although there are issues with the oil company, their argument is specifically aimed at the government. That is because G.O.B. has not respected the Communal Land Rights judgment. 

Via Phone: Cristina Coc, Spokesperson, Mayan Leaders Alliance

“We will not stand by and watch a third party come in and have its way in our communities and mislead the rest of the general public to believe that there is consensus cause there isn’t.”

Jose Sanchez

“What would your reaction be to—we’ve attempted to speak to both Martin Alegria and Lisel Alamilla from the Ministry and they have both declined to comment on what occurred in Sunday Wood and U.S. Capital seems satisfied with the outcome. Where does this put you?”

Via Phone: Cristina Coc

“Well the Mayan Leader Alliance and the Toledo Alcaldes Association realize that our fight is not with the company. Our fight is with the Government of Belize who continuously fails to recognize our rights as indigenous people and fail to approach us as land owners. So we’ve taken up that position with the government. In fact we have made very clearly through by way of a communication on October eighteenth, our position to the government, states that at times we have not heard from them. Our Alcaldes, our traditional leaders, have instructed us to give the government some time to respond so that until we have exhausted every effort to come to some kind of meaningful and friendly dialogue with our government; until we have either heard them ignore our calls; or said blatantly no to our request, then and only then will we begin to take another step forward [or] another action. They will be forcing our hands then to do what we have to do to continue to defend the wellbeing of our people and our land. These issues, we have discussed at length with our Alcaldes and the Mayan Leaders Alliance and everything I’ve said to you is the collective position of these very leaders that we meet with all the time. So it is not Cristina Coc’s opinion; it is really the collective efforts and the opinions of all the Alcaldes and all the leaders.”