And this desperation for land is ubiquitous in Belize everyone wants, even those who have more than they need. So today we asked Minister Jose Mai if his own constituents share the same impatience as those in the south. He says he doesn't have that issue, but that there are laws and procedures to follow before digging up someone else's yard.
Hon. Jose Mai - Minister of Agriculture
"I don't have that problem in my constituency and I don't know what Nigel Petillo plans to do in Toledo, to be honest. He's from here, I don't know. But there's a law. That tells you how you should clear land or if you can, if it's yours or not. Ministry of Lands Is overwhelmed with so many requests for land. Mr. Cordell, I'm sure he's trying his best. Some may see you need to be patient. Others may say, well, I've been here since one year waiting for something to happen and it doesn't happen. So I believe that there's some kind of reform that hasn't happened in the Ministry of Lands to expedite because it is difficult to get land so maybe the way in which it is structured, but we have to look at that and we have to look at it fast, people are waiting, I see it, it happens to me too in my constituency. We have to find a way to expedite the process but that does not give you the right to go and clear somebody else land or land that doesn't belong to you. It will only cause more problem so we have to be very careful with how we address this."
