During yesterday's press conference that was hosted by the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Toledo Alcaldes Association, we asked about Big Falls and the assertion from that village's alcalde that his fellow residents don't want customary land tenure to be implemented there.
During the entire saga of the court cases over Maya Customary Land Tenure, the leadership of the Maya has presented this as a unified struggle. So, it was surprising when a letter from Eulalio Choko, the Alcalde of Big Falls, became public knowledge.
It is dated April 21, 2021, and it is addressed to Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs. In that letter, Choko says, quote, "...Big Falls is not interested in holding their land based on customary land tenure... The villagers of Big Falls wish to continue with land tenure-ship under the existing legal framework. We want to be allowed to pay our property taxes, pay rental on existing leases, renew our leases, and to have surveys of land so that villagers can obtain leases or titles for our residential property and our farms." End quote.
And for good measures, the Alcalde went on to assert that the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Toledo Alcaldes Association do not represent Big Falls Villagers in any matter related to land or otherwise.
Yesterday, the spokesperson for both organizations said that Alcalde Choko's views, as spelled out in that letter, are his own, and are not necessarily shared by his fellow villagers:
Cristina Coc - Spokesperson, MLA/TAA
"I also saw a copy of that letter from the - let's make it very clear - from the Alcalde of Big Falls Village. I was invited along with my team, the Toledo Alcalde's Association, and the Maya Leaders Alliance to meet with the village leadership of Big Fall. Now, this includes beyond the Alcalde. The Alcalde was also present, the village council, members of the water board, members of the various religious denominations, the PTA, and other community leaders of Big Falls, recently, to discuss this very matter. That decision and that letter sum up the personal views of the Alcalde himself. His village has since cautioned him, and I've understood that he also met with the Commissioner, who also cautioned him that it is not for him alone to make a decision as such. Only the members of his community can determine whether or not they want to give their rights to their lands and resources under the customary land tenure system. Only members of his community can do that at a community meeting, where a collective decision is taken. The alcalde himself cannot make that decision - or any leader or individual for that matter, unilaterally cannot make those decisions. The community is interested in understanding better the nature of the rights that are afforded to them under these affirmations. They want to understand better what the implications are, particularly since much of Big Falls' lands are held in one form or the other by many third parties."
