In political stories - when we say we should get "two sides of the story" that usually means the PUP and the UDP. But, last night, to get the other side to PUP Minister of State Mike Espat's weekend rant against the Maya Land Rights court order in his area we had to talk to the Minister of Indigenous Affairs from his own party Dolores Balderamos Garcia.
She distances herself from his harsh words calling them "unfortunate" and "not helpful". And while some of what he said is emotional - one substantive subject he did touch on was US Capital Energy. That's the oil company doing exploration in Toledo. The approval for exploratory permits has now been complicated by the requirement to get Free Prior and Informed Consent from the 7 villages in the footprint fo the exploration. Espat says that has run the company into an immovable brick wall; the Minister sees it differently:
Mike Espat, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment
"Right now we are negotiating with US Capital, an oil company that was working in Crique Sarco. They have spent over 40 million dollars in this country, did not find oil and now they apply to continue their exploration. They are now against a brick wall."
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs
"There have been 1 or 2 delays in the process of the US Capital application, but mainly the villages that are being consulted are largely in support and some of the delays have been on the part of the company itself, for example wishing to get things right in terms of their head office etc., and so. But I can say though that the process of the consultation with US Capital I believe has been going well, although it is not an overnight thing."
