Last week Friday, we told you about the issue that's taking place in Toledo, in the Garifuna Village of Barranco. Representatives of the Garifuna community are asserting that the Ministry of Natural Resources was attempting to stop one of its villagers from developing a piece of land that they consider to be part of their village's traditional lands as another indigenous group in Belize.
Well, the Ministry responsible for Indigenous Peoples Affairs is strongly disputing that characterization. In fact, they say that the Lands Department is taking issue with Dr. Francis Arzu and Rita Arzu as individuals, and not the Barranco Village Council.
Their press release says, quote, "The Ministry… has noted with concern the letter from the National Garifuna Council and statement by its president, Mrs. Sandra Miranda George, about the order to Dr. Francis Arzu issued last week by the Lands Commissioner.
It is the Ministry's understanding that the said cease-and-desist order does not at all directly concern any claim by villagers of Barranco Village to lands of their community. Rather, Dr. Arzu himself, not the Barranco Village Council, was apparently granted permission to survey a large parcel of land in 2016. The 2015 Consent Order of the Caribbean Court of Justice requires Government to respect Customary Land Rights of Maya communities, thus making necessary, consultation with stakeholders of both indigenous southern communities." End quote.
The Ministry says that it will approach the issue with caution, and with dialog and mediation when they start to establish the boundaries of both Midway, which is Maya, and Barranco, which is Garifuna.
