Last night, we showed you squatters in the Cayo District off the More Tomorrow Road - developing acres upon acres for farming purposes. But they're not just in the wide-open country, today we found some squatters closer to home, at the western edge of the city across from Faber's Road at its intersection with the western highway.
This is where the Ministry of Works has started work on a road leading to what will be a bridge connecting Lake Independence to Belama.
They started work on it three months ago - and that's when squatters started moving in en-masse.
Today we visited and found a fledgling community growing every which way.
Jules Vasquez Reporting:
Squatters have populated the area, making mass clearings, and setting up structures big and small. The land at the front is private, property of the Shaw Estate, the one in the middle is public land, and closer to the river is also private.
And while it is tidily arranged on the map, on the ground it is chaos, everybody's building, clearing, cutting, speculating, marking, even selling. There is no regulation, no survey, no pegs, just land, the snarl of chainsaws, the thwack of machetes and a community coming up in a spasm of need. Everyone has their own story, but the common theme is that these people need land and feel they've got nowhere to go:
Bal-T, looking for land
"I came back here because I need a house-lot because I live in a "match box" house, and that's why I'm squatting right here. I have no choice."
Nelis Osvaldo Melendez, Building House
"I need a place to live."
Gilberto Carillos, Building House
Well I am trying to do my little house because I'm tired of paying rent. So "
Jules Vasquez
"So you don't own any property?"
Gilberto Carillos, Bulding House
"No This will be my first."
Jason Gordon, Looking for Land
"Well I came back here because I need land and property to live."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you have a land title presently?"
Jason Gordon
"No, I'm currently living on my aunt's land. I do know, however, I can't live there forever."
Solomon Gabourel, Has his Land
"First of all, I have no home at this present time. I have nowhere and I need to get one because I have two sons."
Felipe Martinez, has built his home
"What I am trying to say is that we really need a piece of land for the future. Our Belizean kids will not be able to find a piece of land when the time comes for them to get their family."
Marian Pineda, Naturalized B'zean, Looking For Land
"I am here because I need a piece of land. I have four children and I need to make a home."
Voice of Squatter
"I am back here because I need a piece of land. I have gone to the Land's Department over and over, there is no land. There are people who have just arrived here (in Belize) and own acres upon acres of land, but I serve this country. I serve in the BDF and as a police and I can't own a piece of land; I think that i am entitled to a piece of land. That's the reason i am doing this; I need a piece because I have kids who need a home. In the next 10 to 15 years, there will be none for my kids or anyone else."
And so he came here which is not land, it is bush, - this is how his plot looks after three months of back breaking work:
Squatter
"The work on this is piece land has been 3 1/2 months with machete!"
Jules Vasquez
"5 days of work?"
Squatter
"5 days of work, sometimes 6."
Jules Vasquez
"Explain the type of work you've had to do to clear it so far."
Squatter
"Well that one (a piece of tree stem) is light. This other one tho, we had to burn it to get it cut down. No chain saw could have cut it. We burnt it several times before we could remove it."
Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but after all of this (hard work), you know you're still squatting, right?"
Squatter
"Well I know that, but I ain't gonna move."
That resolve is common among these squatters - while some are more even handed and others aren't sure if they are coming or going:
Felipe Martinez
"I am not calling it just squatting, because I was told that it is somewhat allowable. It is still squatting though."
Bal-T
"They say that somebody owns this entire area right here. So that's the reason I am holding back a bit."
Jules Vasquez
"Yes, This is, in fact, private property."
Bal-T
"So they say..."
Jules Vasquez
"It is owned by the Shaw Estate, all 33 acres."
Bal-T
"So they say, so I don't know. We may have to move."
Jules Vasquez
"Which piece is your piece."
Solomon Gabourel
"I would say this piece is mine. I might not own it, but they are giving us halt on the land."
Gilberto Carillos
"I didn't get any papers this (land). I just came, took a piece, and clean it. And if the government comes and tells me that I can't keep it, then I can't do nothing about it."
Jules Vasquez
"But then you already put in a lot of work into it."
Gilberto Carillos
"Well yes but, like i said I'm trying to get my little spot ready to live on."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you worried that you are putting in so much work?"
Gilberto Carillos
"Well let me tell you honestly, yes because if the government comes tells me I have to move it, it's will be a lot of wasted work. But we will try to survive."
Jason Gordon
"The person who owns this first one (right here) told me that there is land up this side here that is not cleared as yet. So he told me to just go to the back until i can't see any more trees chopped down or cleared. That's the spot that I could decide which part I want."
Jules Vasquez
"How far back did you go?"
Jason Gordon
"I went all the way back into the bush until I nearly got lost."
Jules Vasquez
"And you found an area that's clear?"
Jason Gordon
"I found an area that is clear."
Jules Vasquez "But a lot of it is already cleared out (already taken)."
Jason Gordon
"Yes a lot of trees are already cleared."
Jules Vasquez
"Would be dismayed to find out that indeed you are on private property?"
Jason Gordon
"Well I don't know what I will do as yet."
Jules Vasquez
"But you understand that there is a great chance that you are on private property."
Jason Gordon
"Yes I know, and if I am, I don't know what what I will do."
Felipe Martinez
"We Belizean people need a piece of land, so this is what told the people. We came to see for ourselves. But if the government says that the owner wants the place, we can't go against the government."
Nelis Osvaldo Melendez
"I don't think so because I don't think we are in a prohibited area - the prohibited area is over there. We are in a good place."
Maybe Solomon Gabourel has it right
Solomon Gabourel
"Truthfully, we as people in this society aren't known to be squatters. We are settlers. That word squatting needs to be removed from our doctrine. In our own society and our own country, we shouldn't be considered as squatting. Where should we settle then? You understand me? So we are settlers; we are not squatters."
Minister of Works Boots Martinez availed himself for a comment this afternoon - but due to scheduling difficulties at our end, we were unable to do the interview - and we hope to have that for you tomorrow.
