There was something of a showdown in Gales Point Manatee this weekend.
It was a response from the villagers to an information session hosted by the Vulcan Materials Company.
It's a story we broke last September when Cherisse Halsall travelled to Belize's last Maroon community to get the villager's opinion on the proposed White Ridge Project, a plan to mine aggregate from the hills that can be seen just off the tiny peninsula.
Back then the answer was a resounding NO, and it seems things haven't changed much, because when our team hit the ground on Saturday, we found a testy crowd insisting that Vulcan shouldn't try to, quote, "tek deh fi eedyat." Cherisse Halsall has the story:
STANDUP
Vulcan came to Gales Point today. They were here to consult, to inform, and perhaps to convince.
But the villagers refused to give them an easy time of it and at day's end the results of that consult are less than clear less than clear,
The day started easily enough with picket signs and posters against Vulcan posted all around the field where the meeting was set to take place, and villagers ready with their questions for the corporation which has designs on the aggregate in their mountains.
Cherisse Halsall:
"When you go under one of those tents today what will be your questions to Vulcan personnel?"
Sheffield Andrewin, Villager, Gales Point Manatee
"The first question to Vulcan, why we? You know, that's the first question I want to know why we were chosen. We already know what is the price to do business with them and we aren't willing to pay that price because we have kids. So it's that I stand with them. I'm just ready for them to leave anytime they are ready."
But other questions like the one on chairman Allshaft's mind on Saturday addressed actions that Vulcan has already taken.
Jason Allschaft, Chairman, Gales Point Manatee
"Two well heads that. we found have been drilled into our aquifer and we don't know what they're for but they say Vulcan on them do not touch or you'll be prosecuted. I don't know, nobody has ever told us that you could put a well. head. That is going to be my main one."
And if they got to ask those questions they must have shouted because the day and the meeting was about to descend into a bit of controlled chaos.
The confusion started with the tents. Vulcan had set up 3 station's with exhibits hosted by the relevant authorities but the villagers saw the separation as a kind of divide and conquer tactic.
Hugo Moguel:
"Under one tent either, how are you gonna do that? You see what's happening already?"
Jason Allschaft, Chairman, Gales Point Manatee
"Everybody has the same questions."
Protestor
"The meeting last time, everybody was sitting under the tent and you had your panel and we ask questions to the people who we wanted to ask. This is deceiving to the Gales Point people."
Nancy Bailey, Owner and Operator, Manatee Lodge
"We were. expecting a meeting where we could all ask a panel of people questions. We never needed to have this meeting because we. already made an emphatic no, the government of Belize made an emphatic no to which we appreciate very much but they asked. to be able to answer questions and receive comments so we were expecting to come and listen to each other's questions, learn from them and give them our comments and our feelings about and instead I feel like they were trying to manipulate us again and control the conversation."
And eventually Vulcan's people admitted that their tent strategy had been a tactic to ease tensions.
Jimmy Fleming, Vice President, Governmental Affairs and Community Relations, VULCAN "This is an easier way, a better flow for answering questions, and it also lowers the temperature sometimes from having a large meeting."
But that disagreement resulted in the villagers taking a stand under the middle tent and largely refusing to budge. Still, they were more than up for voicing their opinions on Vulcan.
Sharlene Andrewin, Villager, Gales Point
"C'mon. no, we say no and we mean no. No, to Vulcan."
Protestor
"When those people come and try to fool us and try to throw salt in our eyes. We. will open our eyes because we just know now who those people and what they've come to do."
"We want. those people to go from here right now. We don't want any meeting, no nothing. Government is with us we're happy now we will stand with our people and say we don't want them here. We are doing good right now under tourism, so we are alright."
Lionelli Myers, Vice-Chair, Village Council
"When it comes to Vulcan and their intentions when it comes to our community for us it's. plain to see that they come into a small community and believe that we have needs and yes when it comes to infrastructure in health, in education there are. a lot of improvements that we need to be making in this community but those aren't reasons for us to be taken advantage of."
And when residents did go to stations under the other tent those conversations went largely like this:
Protestor
"You guys got like 10 people suing you right now for the same SHIT you want to do here and that ain't gonna ride."
Vulcan Personnel:
"I'm sorry you can't do that you have to provide details and facts."
Protestor
"Details, I'll bring details for you guys. This is not Mexico, you guys gonna drill there, messed up - all the s* gonna come in the river. We got to drink water."
But Vulcan personnel handled the criticism calmly and stressed their commitment to remain above board throughout every step of this process.
Vulcan Personnel:
"We are not relying on the government of Belize to basically regulate us we are going to do the EIA, which has not been done as yet, to World Bank standards, the government of Belize doesn't require World Bank standards, but we are going to do it to World Bank standards because we want to go for the gold. We want to go for the highest standard possible and that is why we're having this community outreach, we want to hear the concerns."
And later on in the day when we asked Vulcan's rep Jimmy Fleming about the loud voices of discontent he pointed to a silent majority that Vulcan says they managed to hold constructive conversations with.
Jimmy Fleming, Vice President, Governmental Affairs and Community Relations, VULCAN
"I think that's a message that some have given us but there are others who are at the same time asking us what kind of jobs are we going to bring to the community, what kind of benefits do we bring, you know what is the economic effect to this area and to Belize. So, we got a lot of those questions as well so there's, it may be the silent majority but we're getting those questions when they have an opportunity to come and ask."
And despite the crowd and the noise we managed to speak to villagers who say they are in support of Vulcan's project and eagerly await the possibility of new jobs for workers in the village.
Lloyd Andrewin, Villager, Gales Point
"There are a few of us on the Vulcan side and some against, but I think we need jobs, the village need jobs. We can't do anything without money cause me I'm not working and I'm well satisfied if they come in."
Shannon Welch, Villager, Gales Point
"We have been suffering for a long time and there was an opportunity coming and we are rejecting that opportunity. People need immediate help, we don't worry about tomorrow or the other day we are worried about now."
This woman agrees that the village needs jobs but she was less clear on her opinion for the proposed landscape transformations.
Cherisse Halsall:
"One of the concerns is that those green hills in the background across the lake for lack of a better term will turn. white when they start mining them how. would you feel about that?"
Amelia Requena, Villager, Gales Point Manatee
"Well, right now I don't know. because I haven't seen it in person yet. The only thing I have seen is what i google. or in the booklet that they gave us so I don't really know how it will look."
But ultimately even Fleming had to concede that this particular meeting was not a resounding success.
Jimmy Fleming, Vice President, Governmental Affairs and Community Relations, VULCAN
"Well it didn't turn out the way we had hoped or anticipated, um, but there were a number of people who were able to come and ask questions and we were able to give them some of the information that they were looking for."
Cherisse Halsall:
"The perception out here sir was that the number of people out here are that are against your project are much greater than the ones that are for it, how do you see that disparity and what does it tell you about the future of the project?"
Jimmy Fleming, Vice President, Governmental Affairs and Community Relations, VULCAN
"it tells me that we have a lot of questions that have yet to be answered to people's satisfaction and we deserve to have that process go forward to answer those questions and then you know. at the end of the day it is a process and the process will determine whether or not we are able to operate."
And if this meeting seemed like a railroading to Vulcan, he would.do well to note the history of this maroon community, built on resistance. And it isn't about to hand over its natural resources for profit without a fight.
We did follow up with Vulcan about chairman Allschaft's concern about the aquifers. According to Vulcan, this contraption, collecting data on the level of groundwater received all permits from the Ministry of Natural Resources and that both sites have been inspected by the hydrology unit.
When it comes to the legal battles the company is facing in Mexico Vulcan has said quote: "This latest action by Mexico is arbitrary and illegal."
And, undaunted by the poor reception, they've promised to quote: ""Continue working with environmental and community-based NGOs, local scientists, regulatory agencies, and the local Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary to make sure we are managing property sustainably for the long-term." End quote. They expect to solidify these throughout the next two years with the creation of the project's Environmental Impact assessment.
