The morning at 8:30 unrest exploded in the northern village of San Pedro where angry villagers confronted police after authorities came to disconnect their water. Our team rushed to the scene and we got there we found a bitter northern standoff and no water to put out the fire.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
The Northern Village of San Pedro is on a feeder road two miles off mile 74 on the northern highway and home to about 75 families. It's a quiet little cane cutters' village, and in the off season for cane, it's the last place you'd expect to see a scene like this. A crew of about 30 police officers, including dragon unit, fully equipped with riot gear on the ready. And camping out in the midday sun just 50 feet from them are an angry group of villagers from the villages of San Pedro, Cristo Rey and Yo Chen who are demanding lower water rates and their firmness this morning led to a showdown with collectors who this morning cut out water to all three villages.
Pedro Cob, J.P. San Pedro Village: They send the police and cut the water and the villagers were not accepting that.
Jules Vasquez_: So how many of them have had their water taken out this morning?
Pedro Cob: Right now from morning they cut the entire water system.
JV: So there is no water in this village right now?
Pedro Cob: No for the three villages there is no water. This morning when they came they hit three persons from our village and they shoot us right here in front.
JV: Wait you are saying shots were fired by the police?
Pedro Cob: Yes sir.
JV: Why did they fire shots?
Pedro Cob: Because one person told them not to cut the water.
JV: He stood up in front to block them from cutting the water?
Pedro Cob: Yes.
JV: They shot at him or they shot him?
Pedro Cob: They pointed it at everybody.
JV: And they fired warning shot after that?
Pedro Cob: Yes one warning shot.
JV: And how do you feel about being treated like this?
Pedro Cob: We feel very very very bad.
Florencio Botes, Wife of Shooting Victim: We standing there to ensure that no one comes and lock the water and then the police or I don't what he is shoot. And after they took the bullet so that no one would have evidence of it. Supposed he had killed my husband just because of wayter? And then the police knocked this man with a stick too. And he knocked another one too.
Pedro Cob: We are asking the police to get in contact with the water board members to come and dialogue. The three board members are willing to dialogue and settle this thing because this will happen everyday if they try to cut water.
JV: You all will block them?
Pedro Cob: Yes we will block them because almost all the people who they took to court already paid so how comes that they are going to cut my water? The water board just came in and put a price they never consult the people asking how much they want to be charged.
JV: How much are you all paying?
Pedro Cob: Well the villagers are willing to pay $7 for those who have vehicles and $8 for those who don't have a vehicle.
JV: How much is the water board charging?
Pedro Cob: $9 and $10.
JV: In these rates went into effect in May and now they are saying they don't want to pay.
Pedro Cob: Yes they are unwilling to pay the $9 and $10.
It's only two dollars, but for these villagers that's a lot to pay especially in sugar cane's off season when cash is scarce.
Florencia Botes: To me they are charging me $12 and I can't pay $12.
JV: But you can pay 7 and 8?
Botes: Yes I can pay $7 and $8.
JV: Supposed I say the difference is so small...that the cost of a soft drink is the difference between the $7 and $9 dollars.
Botes: Well sir I don't know but the water is something in the village...it is in the village and it is not in the town you see and they say it is a gift that they give us free but it is a gift and not something that government gives.
JV: But it's a small amount, its two pound of tortilla...its a small amount.
Botes: But if you don't have $2 to buy your tortilla how could you buy it? If they charge you two more dollars you have to take $12 and if you don't have it how could you pay your bill? You have to try and find the one or 2 dollar to complete the money and go pay it. If you don't have $1.25 for one soft drink you can't but it. In this village we have a little bit of money when we cutting cane because I think you know that in this village only the cane field leave a bit of money. But right now the factory finished so for you have to go chop to get money $3.50 or $4.00 to buy a soft drink. So these people come to collect from you $9 and $10 and I think that is wrong.
Not good and not encouraging, as the battle lines are clearly drawn, and this afternoon, the standoff continued with the villagers who camped out through lunch getting spare relief form a bag of chips, and the police living slightly better with a catered order of tamales. Nobody had any water to wash their hands with when they were done, except for the few villagers with some fresh water collected form a gutter. And they won't get any water until the word comes from Petronillo Cob, the Chairman of the Water Board. Villagers are demanding that he re-connect their water and give them the rate they are demanding.
Botes: I want the Chairman to come and explain to the people because the people is asking for $7 and $8.
After Chairman Cob did not arrive, at 5:00 p.m. the crowd dispersed. At newstime the 260 families in the three villages were still without water and will go into tomorrow like that. The chairmen refused the invitations of Area Representative Hon. Valdemar Castillo to attend a meeting in San Andres because they say it is political. They are demanding that Castillo and Cob come to them.