Opposition Leader Patrick Faber was asked about the Krooman Lagoon dispute today during their extended press conference. He's the Area Rep. of the Collet Division, where the Krooman Lagoon is located, and the press challenged him on this squatting issue, which has persisted in his constituency for years:
Hon. Patrick Faber - Leader of the Opposition
"My position has always been very clear and I will say this not only as it relates to the persons who live on the lagoon, but those who live on the periphery, Jack Charles's plant, if you will. His business was always on the highway and there was a time in the past, in fact, when the question came up of him owning additional lines that extended into the lagoon And my position at that time - in fact, there was a dispute within my own party because unbeknownst to me, there was
some settlement with Charles - and there was - they allotted him legally, the portion of the land that actually extended into the lagoon without consultation with me, as the area rep. And I made known my position then. So if you asked me even the portion that Charles is now claiming, that is not on the periphery of the highway and extends back into the lagoon, should never have been distributed. And my position as it relates to persons who continuously squat on the lagoon. That is not a safe place to be. And as the area representative, well, I have not led a campaign to remove those people for obvious reasons, I cannot and I have never supported them staying there. It is a health hazard. It continues to be a problem because again, the utility companies don't go in and put in the necessary polls and water lines because it's on a lagoon. And yes, there are some times when it's dry and you believe that it is land that can be developed. But the experts have come and they have studied this situation tremendously to say it is not safe. It is a catchment area for the entire city, in fact."
"It is reserved land. in fact. The government has put that land on reserve and they should not have settled there. There are Belizeans who want a piece of land, who can't get it. If you go and you reward, so to speak, those who settled there and there will be problems, but somebody needs to bite the bullet, indeed."
Landowner Jack Charles disputed the Area Rep's account - he says he is 3rd owner of this property and adds that it has been private property since about 2004.
