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After the Caribbean Court of Justice established in 2015 that the Maya customary land tenure does exist, the CCJ then ordered that gob establish a mechanism, legislative or otherwise to protect those rights and establish those protections.
Now, the office of Indigenous People's Affairs has commenced holding consultations within the Mayan Communities to draft the Maya Customary Land Tenure policy.
Today, we asked the spokesperson from the Toledo Alcalde Association whether they are satisfied with the level of consultations being provided. This is how she responded:
Cristina Coc, Spokesperson TAA
"We became aware last week or a couple weeks ago we became aware that the government of Belize is in fact holding what they are calling consultations with the respective leaders of the Maya Villages by way of Zones so they are inviting 45 villages per meeting their inviting about 10 leaders from each of the Maya villages and this is how they have described their consultation it is very clear that the government needs to reassess what meaningful consultation is because it is important and it's imperative that meaningful consultation affords the communities prior information. So the policy should have been given out I know that it was distributed in the villages about 25 copies to each community leader. The community leaders are being asked to socialize this policy with their members but this is a very technical and legal document and the capacity of the leaders to do so let alone the resources or the support to have them do so is very very limited."
"We inquired about whether or not there were gonna be other meetings and we were told that No because they are aiming to try and have a legislation by December of this year and so we've delayed for 8 years and then we're gonna basically rush through development a legislation in 4 5 months."
"And what is it that is going to be recognized? And already, if I could give you just a brief synopsis of what we are seeing already in this draft policy. We see that there is a very big effort to limit the decision making powers of the community. Indigenous communities are autonomous communities; they are self determined communities. They have a right to make their own decisions in their internal affairs and in matters that affect their lives so this is very concerning. Second we see an effort to limit the actual land that is being claimed by the Maya communities. The land tenure system of the Maya communities encompasses not just where their houses are, not just where their commercial center is or where their central village center is but really it encompasses an entire way of life and entire relationship with land, water and territory. And so when in fact we see an attempt to limit the land that's afforded to them. For instance the policy it speaks to efforts to basically take away indigenous peoples lands if there's a competing interest not recognizing Maya customary land tenure where there is a competing interest."
Reporter:
"Have you communicated to them that you are not satisfied with the level of consultation that they have provided so far?"
Cristina Coc, Spokesperson TAA
"Loud and clear we have communicated that in our negotiations with the state we've communicated that now in the current consultations that's ongoing. I've attended at least one meeting. I plan to attend the upcoming meetings because by invitation of the villages. So we are not necessarily invited to these consultations the communities are told you can bring whoever you want to support you and so it is the communities that are asking and requesting the technical and legal support of the the Toledo alcalde association."
The Maya Leaders alliance say that they have not received a favorable response from GOB after expressing their discontent with the consultations.
The MLA is not in support of the drafted policy. GOB wishes to complete the legislation by December
