On June 19th to the 22nd there will be a land clinic, but not in Belize City, or Cayo, or anywhere in the country for that matter. It will be held in Los Angeles, California. And just like any other land clinic, Belizeans in the diaspora will be allowed to apply for new land as well as inquire about their existing land issues.
For Belizeans living at home with so many land issues, it's not the most popular initiative, and we have heard a lot of grumbling about it.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he had no part in the planning, and neither did the Minister of Diaspora Relations. In fact, he says the land clinic was organized by someone in LA along with the Minister of Natural Resources.
But should Belizeans living abroad be entitled to land in a country they do not currently live in? It's a perplexing issue and that's what the media asked Fonseca.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"I will not be there, but I understand the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister should attend. To be honest, I really don't know much about it. It's being organised by an organisation, as I understand it, in LA, not by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
"They, I think got directly in contact with the Deputy Prime Minister and he has facilitated their request. We have provided whatever support the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister has asked of us at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but that's as much as we know about it."
Reporter
"Why should the Belizeans living in Diaspora receive this type of service?"
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"I think people differ on this point. I think it's fair. Many Belizeans who live in the US have expressed an interest in coming home, wanting to return to Belize, wanting to contribute to Belize after their retirement."
"I think that's the context in which the Deputy Prime Minister is looking at it. Many of them are saying, well, listen, we want to come back home, but we don't have land, we want to build our house, but we don't have land, we have extra money, we've been saving while working here in the US, we have our pension. We want to put it back into Belize, but we need land. And so I think that's a legitimate point of view. And I think the Deputy Prime Minister and his team wanted to facilitate that."
"We want to encourage Belizeans to return home, especially those who have retired with some expertise, who have extra money, who have savings. We want them to come back to Belize and invest in Belize and participate in the growth and development of Belize."
"So I don't think it's a bad thing."
