Earlier this month, we told you what the Minister of Rural Transformation had to say about the tensions between Yemeri Grove and Laguna. He had mentioned that he was working along with the Minister of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs to find a solution that all parties would agree on. Today, when we spoke with Dolores Balderamos Garcia, she said that they won't stop until the issue is resolved.
Dolores Balderemos Garcia, Minister of Human Dev, Families
"Let's put it this way, and maybe I can quote my colleagues, the Deputy Prime Minister, Cordel Hyde, we talk until we agree. In other words, we may not be fully there yet in terms of what we need to do but we will talk until we agree and the process has started. We have had meetings with the Yemeri Grove people, we have had meetings with the Laguna people and of course there is going to be need for compromise and for understanding and respect going forward but the process just started, and would like to emphasize not our differences but those things that bring us together. We want development of our country, we want development of the Toledo district and so that is why we need to talk."
"The response has been good so far because we have involved the Lands Department and we have involved the Forestry Department and I hear my colleague, Minister Oscar Requena, loud and clear that we really need to provide land and lots for first time land owners but we do know that because of the FPIC protocol there is need for consultation, we're not running from that at all and I have had a very fruitful meeting with MR Pablo Mis, one of the executives of the Julian Cho Society and a Maya leader and we are very, well I should say very closer together now because of the discussions we have had. But again I want to stress that there will be need for compromise, there will be need for respect and there will be need to really help our people and Minister Requena has indicated that he will not try to exclusively give land to maybe one set of people, we want to help Laguna people, we want to help San Marcos people, Yemeri Grove people, Punta Gorda people, wherever it may be and as I say, government is committed to the process of consultation and also what they call it, DPM, Delineation Principals and Methodology, we're committed to that and we will sit down and have further discussions until we can come up with a good agreement."
