In other news, after the meeting of the Mayas in Santa Elena, where they demanded the government meet them in their villages, GOB has decided to hold consultations in Toledo. The first was held in Big Falls, and this Sunday, they're going to San Pedro Colombia.
But that's only 2 of 41 villages, which would make this process even longer. The Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs has already said that they wouldn't be able to visit every single village, but are they choosing the ones that seem less hostile to the government? That's what the media asked Lands Minister Hyde today.
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources
"I am in the middle of campaign season. I spend my time campaigning, trying to get my party reelected. And I have every confidence that our minister of indigenous affairs will do right."
"They've been trying to do, right. I don't know that they've only visited villages that are onside."
Reporter:
"So far they've started with two, I mean it's 41 villages so I'm saying should all those be consulted?"
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources
"I don't know the schedule, but I know that they are committed to consultation and I know that they've been having consultation for the longest time and they've had lots of conversations like I was in a couple of conversations. This is going to take a while. This is not anything that will be done overnight. We have to make sure that whatever agreement we have, whatever decision we make is based on a proper understanding, based on agreement, consultation with the people there. We can't ram anything down their throats. It's about making sure that they can live with the final policy. And it's about us as a government presenting a policy to the parliament that everybody can get behind. That's a job of a government. The job of our government is to be responsive to people. It's not for us to decide what is important to us and what we want to do. It's about doing what the people want. It's about doing what benefits the people. And so in determining that, in reaching that conclusion, you have to have conversation. You have to have meaningful consultation. And you would hope that those consultations are done in a spirit of of cooperation and cordiality and mutual respect, and that we talk to each other as opposed to at each other."
Reporter:
"And you do not expect that when the legislation finally gets to Parliament, it will not be a case where it will be passed through Parliament while you have mass protest outside, because what's being proposed to the Mayas currently is something they say is new, was not in previous iterations of the policy."
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources
"We are not a government that practices that kind of thing."
Reporter:
"However, the Minister of Indigenous People's Affairs has said Parliament will have the final say, but it cannot be with people outside in protest of what's being passed in the House."
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources
"Yes, I just explained to you that what we present in Parliament and what we pass is supposed to be in conjunction with the people's wishes."
