Last night - we showed you the anger of the Maya communities in Toledo - after they rejected government's draft Maya Customary Land Tenure Policy.
The communities have summoned the political directorate - specifically the Indigenous Affairs Minister and the Area Rep plus their legal advisors to a meeting in Santa Elena,Toledo for a meeting tomorrow.
But government today announced that it is having consultations on the land policy with community leaders tomorrow, but not in Santa Elena.
Today, via Zoom form Toledo the Toledo Alcaldes Association rejected that:
Andres Cus, President - TAA
"I sent a invitation to the government to come and explain the new draft policy to the community in Santa Elena on the 27th of this month as tomorrow."
Jules Vasquez
"Well, they won't come. By all indications if we read this press release, they are going to have their event in Punta Gorda. And if you all will apparently have to go there."
Sebastian Itch, Chairman of Laguna
"The consultation process that the government is doing is not acceptable. The government cannot consult with only the leaders. They need to come to the communities and explain this policy."
Cristina Coc, Spokesperson - TAA and MLA
"So while the government might take the position, Jules, that they don't want to come and meet with us in the way that we are calling for a meeting and the reason why we have rejected just a meeting with the leadership and meeting which separated villages separating our villages is that we don't have the benefit of our collective consensus because as you know, the what we go by is what the majority of our people will assert."
"And clearly, as we have canvased the villages and clearly the communities are resounding in their position that they reject Number five."
"When they need the support of the villages, they find the villages. They know how to get to our communities. We're not asking them to go to each one of the villages. We are convening the communities for them and we are going to be waiting for them in Santa Elena."
Ligorio coy, Past PResident - TAA
"I mean, this is this is exactly what the government is doing amongst us, the Maya people. They are trying to divide us."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you all believe that the Ministry of Indigenous People's Affairs is afraid to go to Santa Elena village tomorrow? I hope that they are not afraid. I really hope they're not afraid."
Cristina Coc, Spokesperson - TAA and MLA
"We do not elect a government to look after the affairs of our people, of our country, to serve the people as they say. We do not elect them to be sitting in office fearing their constituency, fearing the people. In fact, we will tell them. We will assure we we will we will put to rest, maybe their anxiety. We are not the violent people. We don't want to fight anybody. We don't fight with with guns or with machetes or with or with arms. We fight with our words, with our thoughts, with our ideas. When this proposal, which is bad for our people, is being put before us, we are rejecting it. We are seeing government. This will not work for us. This is killing our people. And so we're not we're not going to hurt the politicians if they come. In fact, they have been to our villages. We receive them with open arms. We have to look for them many, many times. We've never treated them in a violent way. And so for them to now say that it's because of the fear of potential violence. We're not a violent people, Jules."
Our news team will be in Toledo tomorrow to see what happens..
