Garifuna flags and drums could be seen and heard in King's Park today as the National Garifuna Council held a small and brief protest to support their people in Honduras.
The Garinagu people in that country have faced aggression from the government for decades, and now the tension is heating up again-as they are being pushed off coastal lands that they have traditionally occupied.
The NGC warns that if this enforced displacement is allowed to continue, the fallout could easily spill over into Belize. Courtney Menzies was there today and has this story.
In a rare and striking scene along Princess Margaret Drive, the rhythmic roll of Garifuna drums and the soaring harmonies accompanied a procession draped in traditional yellow and black. But, they weren't marching for festivities, the National Garifuna Council protested in solidarity with the Garinagu of Honduras. According to the president, the Garifuna communities in and near San Juan are facing major aggression by the Honduran government.
Alex Nolberto, President, NGC Belize
"I don't have all the details but there are a series of adjoining communities along the coast, Garifuna communities in particular and so these lands, our people are being dispossessed for agricultural purposes, for tourism and so on so the special interest groups are being protected by the government and so that is a continuous situation where we have been pushed off our land. It's the same thing in Belize, you are aware of the Hopkins/Sittee situation where Sittee is claiming the northern end of Hopkins, which is high value because of it's tourism value, the same thing in Seine Bight and all the other Garifuna communities, so we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Honduras because what is happening in Honduras can happen in Belize and we need to be aware that we are next and if we don't put a stand in Honduras then we will have to put a stand in Belize."
The NGC also stressed that they do not want a repeat of the massacre of 1937.
Ifasina Efunyemi, Assistant Treasurer, NGC
"We had many Garinagu who fled from that very community back in 1937 as a result of a massacre by the government and so this threat, we saw the videos coming out of San Juan last week. We saw military, very strong and aggressive military presence in San Juan and all our people could do was lift up their phones, that was all they had in their defense, is letting the world know what they were facing."
"This is not like Garinagu came and squatted on these lands, these are lands that our ancestor are buried on."
"We have been very great stewards of the land as indigenous people, we have protected those lands and this is the same situation we face here in Belize, we have consistently protected these lands that initially the colonizers saw no value or merit in and because of how we have taken care of these lands, now they are prime property."
Alex Nolberto, President, NGC Belize
"The militarization, particularly in San Juan and those adjoining villages is a very frightening situation and all it takes is one person to make a mistake, pull the trigger, and we have another massacre so we are concerned about that."
And as a part of their protest, they presented a letter to the Honduran ambassador following the march.
Alex Nolberto, President, NGC Belize
"That's a letter that we wrote to the ambassador to present to the president of Honduras expressing our discontent with what is taking place, reminding him that we do not want history to repeat himself and also imploring on him to respect the rule of law to respect the conventions that have been passed to protect our rights for judicial spaces and to alert him that Belize is paying attention and the international community is paying attention so it is in their best interest to do what is proper."
What the demonstration lacked in numbers, it made up for in solidarity - reinforced by a lively crowd that included Councillor Allan Pollard.
But the president says this is just the beginning for them.
Alex Nolberto, President, NGC Belize
"This was a very good showing, this is an ongoing fight so it's not just about today, it's ongoing if you continue and so we have to continue to maintain the momentum, we have to continue to educate our people, we have to continue to collaborate regionally and internationally so that the governments that have run afoul of the law are brought to task and so this is ongoing and it will not stop until everybody understands what's going on and puts and end to it."
The protest lasted for an hour and a half.
