What's also going to the House tomorrow is a petition signed by San Pedro residents. Those residents want the government to reconsider its already House approved sale of 3,000 acres on Northern Ambergris Caye. That ship has sailed, but today San Pedranos protested to tell government to call it back into port. 7NEWS was on the island.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
A flag led the way through the main streets of San Pedro Town but that was the only colour in today's modest protest because everyone wore white to make the point that it was non-political. But was it? The signs spoke about hustling, the mood seemed militant and the rhetoric was strident.
Man on Loud Speaker: "We want our kids to have land. We want our kids to have somewhere to build their house. Come on Mr. Musa. Enough is enough."
Elito Arceo, President - San Pedro Business Assoc.
"We have members from both parties. That is why are pushing one issue which is this one which came from our members. So we are not taking any political side."
Jules Vasquez,
But it is necessarily political because it is the Musa Administration that made the decision to transact in the way it did.
Elito Arceo,
"We can take it both ways and it can be political or non-political."
Jules Vasquez,
We know that your sister is a prominent PUP former Area Representative. Do you feel that you are in a dicey situation here, you personally?
Elito Arceo,
"We come from, we are brother and sister of course and we have agreements and disagreements on a variety of things. After the day is done she is still my sister."
And while Arceo toes the line, these islanders aren't so bashful. They say they've had it with the government selling Ambergris Caye without first consulting. Their message is that their island has immediate needs.
Elito Arceo,
"We're protesting on the fact that it was set aside for the future expansion of San Pedro and as you can see, if you've been here a day or two days, what the needs are for the local people, to utilize that piece of land. The infrastructure on the island at present cannot support anymore people. You can see it at the schools, the schools are overcrowded. We are having a school now, a new one, but they are presently filling land, which is where the mangroves are, you are filling it to make space for the kids. There is no more and that side was set aside for that particular purpose."
Phillip Leslie, President - San Pedro Tourist Guide Assoc.
"We are here upset because of the sale of Northern Ambergris Caye which we had planned and safeguarded for Belizean people to obtain a little parcel of land where they can build their home or their own small investment."
Elsa Paz, Mayor
"Local people today are desperate to get a piece of land. There is no more land here on this part of the island. We are cutting mangroves like San Pedrito and San Mateo."
Hon. Manuel Heredia,
"We are for development. San Pedro is one of the most active right now in development but it has to be done within the guidelines of the master plan and in the way that the people feel is best for us. Most of the developers that are presently on the island have come to us, they have shown what they will do. What is Caribbean Developers? Who are they, what is their background? Let us see what will be done."
Phillip Leslie,
"I know that the PUP will try smash down Ambergris Caye Master Plan because that doesn't allow them to be able to sell it anyway they want to sell it."
Elsa Paz,
"If the local people are saying today, why didn't they inform us, we could have purchased that land and with a bigger price than it was purchased
because according to the news it has been sold for a total amount of $12 million for 3,000 acres. With 3,000 acres you can take out 12,000 lots, 80 by 125 and people will be more than willing to purchase that land for $5,000 a lot which will give government $16 million instead of $12 million."
Phillip Leslie,
"If you sit and you take it through a proper plan, there will be more than hundreds of jobs. Look at the price they are selling that area for. If you subdivide that and you sell it at a lower price to the local people you will make more. So what's up with Mr. Musa? Does he think that we don't know mathematics?"
And these towns people say they know government is doing the math on another 5,000 acre area of Northern Ambergris Caye.
Elsa Paz,
"And we know that they are still in negotiation with the 5,000 acres with a Canadian company and that is what we are protesting today. We want to stop that sale."
And while the islanders hope to stall government - are these numbers enough to frighten anyone - even a wobbling incumbent?
Elsa Paz,
"If I don't listen to my people, my people will vote me out. We have to respect the people. The power is the people, it is not government. Government doesn't have power. We serve the people."
Jules Vasquez,
But Mayor yes you have to respect the people but you all didn't have enough people out here today to frighten anyone. You had a few handfuls of people, you all didn't have enough to say that you have people power behind this. That is the truth.
Elsa Paz,
"Yes Jules that is true but today we do have a petition that is going to be sent to government. The area representative will be taking that to the House."
And while the petition is being signed by many island residents, do they represent a social constituency that will spur government into action?
Jules Vasquez,
Critics would say well a lot of the people marching out here today aren't Belizean, that they are foreigners or that they are North Americans but they are not from here. So for them to march and talk about 'our land,' that's a false sense of entitlement. That's what an outsider looking in at it might well say.
Phillip Leslie,
"Well they might be foreigners but they are Belizeans now and their concerns are valid."
Rebecca Arceo, Secretary - Business Association
"I don't think it is a false sense of entitlement. Lots of those people that were in the protest today have been here twenty years. Some of them that look like they are not from here were born and raised here, have kids that were born and raised here. I am not from here but I have been here fifteen years and I have two kids that were born and raised here. so when you talk about false sense of entitlement, I don't think that is right. These are people that have started with nothing, came here before the land was worth millions of dollars, put their roots down, figured out how to make their businesses work, how to employ Belizeans."
And while these may not be your average voters, they do vote and there's a lot to be said for the collective economic power of this bloc of citizens.
Tomorrow we'll tell you how many signatures they gathered for the petition. It's of note that San Pedro Town is 7 miles long but Ambergris Caye is 25 miles long.
