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Tonight the cease order by the government of Belize to Luke Espat’s Port of Belize stands. As we reported, 60 truckers are out of a job after government forced Espat to shut down construction at the Belize Cruise Terminal Project Site. A press release today from the Port of Belize says they received the stop order on December 11th from the acting Commissioner of Lands Manuel Rodriguez.

The Port says they have complied but for the record they today reiterated that they have indeed paid for two blocks of land amounting to 54 acres near mile 3 on the Western Highway. The release states that payments for both parcels were made on January 15th and they claim to have receipts as proof. Espat conceded to us yesterday that while he paid for it, he doesn’t have the title.

But yesterday Barrow told 7NEWS that Espat doesn’t have title to the land because he didn’t pay for it and until he does, no construction will be allowed to proceed. Espat told us that the matter is in the hands of his attorneys. As we reported last night, truck drivers are in the middle of the squabble and they are the ones who staged a mobile protest yesterday in the streets of downtown Belize City.