This week government boasted far and wide that it has gotten back control of the national water company. But that boast rings hollow for some residents of Progresso village who've been fighting to get control their own water system.
Throughout the week we've been telling you about their determined effort to resist the introduction of a water metering system in their village. But their resistance has been weakening because the village council, the water board, central government and the police are against them and most villagers have succumbed to the persuasion and power of the authorities and agreed to the meter. But the resistance is not dead and not all have given in. Those that haven't are doing so not as a moral luxury they say they just plain can't afford the metered water. And that's why today they took to the streets of Orange Walk Town to show their displeasure 7 News was there.
About 100 villagers from Chan Pine ridge and Progresso villages marched thought the streets of Orange Walk to the defiant music of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up."
Andrew Bowman, organizer, Progresso Village
"We are out here in solidarity with the demonstration they are having. Also we are out here to show the villages because we do not accept the meter they are forcing down our throat.."
Reginaldo Osorio, villager, Progresso
"We are going to chop cane field our salary is only 5 or 7 dollars for one mecate (unit of measurement for cutting cane) and we can't afford that."
Andrew Bowman,
"We gonna show the people that he people of Progresso will not take these meters and we are going to fight to the end."
Jules Vasquez, News director, 7 News
"They will put in those meters and you can complain all you want. You need water and the only way you can get it in Progresso is to get a meter that's what the central authority is saying."
Reginaldo Osorio
"I say too bad to that issue. They should consult with the people and not do what they are doing."
And the crowd came out to support that fight bringing out their children even if only to seek shelter beneath the strongly worded placards while the old held their own under the sun's unrelenting glare. And while there was a crowd with genuine concerns whose support was real and immediate and of no stated party allegiance, there was a red hue thrown over the event because of the prominent role played by UDP Orange Walk East standard bearer Marcel Cardona.
Jules Vasquez
"Are you being a political opportunist by bandwagonning on this, which has been a people's resistance?"
Marcel Cardona, UDP Orange Walk East standard bearer
"Jules, Jules, for over a year I am the attorney for the Chan Pine Ridge Village. This march commenced as a consequence of what is happening in the Chan Pine Ridge Area. Am I being an opportunist then, when I have been acting as the attorney for Chan Pine Ridge since the council was elected in 2004."
Jules Vasquez
"The situation is that UDP and PUP are protesting and they had a good thing going, but now, the minute you get involved, the critics say ‘Oh, it's a UDP thing.'"
Marcel Cardona,
"No, no, no, you see absolutely no UDP flags here. People are unite don't his because it's affecting UDP, PUP, it's affecting everyone. I am the attorney for Chan Pine Ridge village council, that's why you see me here."
Jules Vasquez
"You have been fighting to keep this non political, but I see the Orange Walk East standard bearer for the UDP playing a central role here. Does that not make it clear that you are seeking a political opportunity?"
Andrew Bowman, Progresso villager
"I will say this on national tv if I knew that it would have been like that I would not have brought my people out, I would have had my own demonstration in Progresso to show that we can bring the government down, and the people are behind me."
Jules Vasquez,
"Both PUP and UDP?"
Andrew Bowman
"I'm telling you now, we have UDP and PUP together, fighitng one cause we do not want the metre, and then we go back to our respective spot."
Reginaldo Osorio
"Is not a UDP and it's not a PUP, because I am a PUP. I was the one that was taking votes for the PUP in Progresso Village, for Florencio Marin"
Jules Vasquez
"Are you betraying Mr. Florencio?"
Reginaldo Osorio
"The message that I want to give Mr. Florencio to hear the voice of the people of Progresso that they do not want that water board; that he should make a meeting with the people of Progresso and the people should elect their own water board."
So PUP and UDP, they marched. And while it was a modest crowd, it is a big issue: control of this vital natural resource, and the determination of those who have not given in, remains formidable
Alva Jean Pelayo, villager,
"I could back water from the well, my father has a well, I can back form the well, but I don't want a meter!"
Reginaldo Osorio,
"I think that we could win this fight, because the water board will hear this message that the people of Progresso do not want a meter, because things is hard right there."
Andrew Bowman,
"Before we went without water for like 5 weeks, so we are planning to go 5 weeks or more and we gonna go all the way until we fall. I will be the last person to fal out of my ship before it's all over."
The protest concluded without incident, and as Bowman said, they'll take it up again next week in their village.