The ownership of land, communal and private in the Toledo District is one of the most perplexing of our time.
Tonight, the issue is making the evening news because the Government is raising the alarm about reports they've received concerning the Maya communities in Toledo. The Maya allegedly are aggressing private landowners for properties they believe should be returned under the 2015 judgment.
Today, the Government sent out a press release saying quote, "It has come to the attention of… the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs that various private landowners and entities have made complaints and representations to Government that they believe that their private landowner rights are being infringed due to the Maya Land Rights Judgement of 2015. It is the view of these landowners that they are experiencing an erosion of their constitutional rights, and therefore, they are increasingly concerned about their investments and future plans. There is the perception that some alcaldes, village councils, and other Maya leaders have become emboldened in their dealings with private landowners.
It is of grave concern to these landowners that some village leaders and Maya leaders are of the view that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Consent Order has bestowed absolute rights on them. While the Government of Belize fully recognizes the need to implement the ruling of Belize's highest court, the Government must seek to achieve a balancing act between the customary land rights of [the] Maya people and the right to private land ownership, both of which are protected by the Constitution." End quote.
The Government notes that village leaders and Maya leaders are well within their rights to respectfully request that government and private landowners refrain from conducting surveys, issuing leases, or conducting land transfers until a comprehensive legal framework can be adopted. In the Government's view, what they cannot do is comport themselves as if the private land owners don't continue to enjoy rights of ownership to their land.
We have contacted the Maya Leaders' representatives to comment on these grave allegations. They have committed to making a full response tomorrow.
