The Maya of Belize – they’re much in the news because the
Maya Leaders Alliance and the Alcaldes Association are taking the government
to court demanding communal land rights for over thirty villages. It is a powerful
proposition from the most systematically disempowered people of Belize and it
has pitched the government and the Mayans into a battle for nothing less than
the soul of a nation. But there is a different view emerging from the south
and now a new movement called the Concerned Advocacy Group is making it clear
that the clamour for communal land rights may be accepted for now as the consensus
position but it is not universally held by all Mayans. With backing from the
economically powerful Toledo Cacao Growers Association, the Concerned advocacy
group held a major event on Sunday the area known as Dump, 15 miles from PG
town. 7News was there and some of what we heard surprised us.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Mayans from, organizers say, fifteen villages were bussed in to the Julian Cho
Technical High School on Sunday morning. The crowd did not overwhelm maybe a
few hundred – but considering that it was a rainy Sunday morning, it wasn’t
bad. But there was organization and mobilization, more than a dozen busses,
entertainment and food. And there was also a sense of occasion....On the stage
were a number of politicians, two UDP’s and two PUP’s. the Leader
of the Opposition, John Briceno, the Minister of Human Development Eden Martinez 
and current Toledo East Area Rep, Eden Martinez, the former Toledo East Area
Rep Mike Espat and Toledo West Area Rep and Minister of State Juan Coy.
Hon. Eden Martinez, Toledo East Rep.
“We are divided on the issue. What I can tell you also is that throughout
the villages that I have been, every one of my village that I have been, in
every one of those villages the concern for land title ownership is definite.”
And while Martinez at least took a policy position, Opposition Leader Briceno
managed to come down firmly on both sides of the issue- without claiming either.
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
“We in the PUP cannot support the balkanization of our country and
the balkanization of our country it sounds like a big word but in simple terms
it means that we cannot afford and we cannot support anybody to want to try
to set up a country within the country. The people from the Toledo District,
be it you are Creole, or Garifuna, or Hispanic descent, or of an indigenous
group, Mayan Indian, at the end of the day it is you all that will have to decide
how and what it is that you want, what it is that you believe that is in the
best interest of your people here in the Toledo District.
I don’t think it is for me to come to the Toledo District and tell
you well we’re going to put all the land communally or for me to come
and tell you there will be no communal land and everybody should get their own
piece of land. I don’t think I have that authority. I believe that at
the end of the day, you that are living in the Toledo District need to have
an open and frank discussion amongst yourselves as Belizeans. And if at the 
end of the day, you want to have your land communally then we need to respect
that. But if you want to have your, if there are other people that want to have
the right to own their parcel of land then we need to respect that.”
Toledo West Rep Juan Coy didn’t have to be so cagey; he is a Mayan living
in the villages.
Hon. Juan Coy, Toledo West Rep.
“We are living in the 21st century in a globalized world and we must
continue to be prepared for the many changes to come. Should we continue to
remain on our slash and burn system, a better education for our children, a
better employment to provide a better lifestyle for our children and families.
here are some wanting communal land and some requesting individual land
ownership but both must be heard. The communal land system is an ancient system
where the community owns the land but what happens to the farmer who works the
land and decides to go to Placencia for a job. After three years we returns
only to discover someone else is working his land of which he has document.
Where does he and his family go? The individual lease is a modern approach where
you will have direct ownership of your land. You can go away for five, ten years
and return and your land will still be there for you. The advantages are many;
mortgage your land for a new home, to better educate your children in order
to get out of poverty and misery, use your land document to bail a relative
or a friend. So my people the choice is yours.”
Doesn’t sound like much of a choice – and it’s clear that 
everyone else who spoke at the event had made it already and no less than communal
land trailblazer Julian Cho’s father Juan Cho who staked his claim to
title land.
Juan Cho – Julian Cho’s Father
“He is stating categorically at this time to have this land title
because he is paying for his land and now he wants his title but he cannot be
given it because of what is taking place with the court. So therefore he wants
it now.”
And if that wasn’t enough, Julian Cho’s brother said much the same
while also throwing his other living brother - under the bus.
Teodoro Cho, Julian Cho’s Brother
“Our alcalde in San Jose, we speak to him before he went and signed
but he still went to sign. He is my brother, my personal brother, but he went
and signed the documents to that thing and I just feel bad. This is causing
confusion.
The Maya Leaders Alliance are promoting I think some sort of crime because
there is a certain person in my land right now. I call it my land because it
was surveyed, I paid the surveyor personally with my own money, and the man
still continued to work in that land even though I had it surveyed. And that
man is a supporter of Cristina and the Mayan Leaders so I would like them to
supervise what their supporters are doing or try to monitor what kind of activity
they are doing because I believe that if you want to beg for government to give
us communal land or land title, we should respect each and everybody at present.
I tried to go to the court and the court said we cannot do anything right
now, the Maya Leaders Alliance are stopping us.”
And then there was Primitivo Coc who once agitated for a Mayan homeland with
the Toledo Maya Cultural Council, Julian Cho’s Organization.
Primitivo Coc, Former Chairman of TMCC
“The majority of people, the majority of the Mayas want their own 
land and that is what the issue is at this moment. I don’t think we need
to go to the Supreme Court to correct this issue.”
Gustavo Requena, San Pedro Colombia
“What are we telling our Garifuna brothers, our Creole brothers, our
East Indian brothers when we advocate for only the Mayan people rights? Where
are we?”
Mattias Choc, Santa Elena
“Sometimes an alcalde does not understand what they sign. They does not
know how to read so how are they going to sign for the people of each community.
It is very unfair to me. We as the farmers I do support this group because why,
I am doing farming and if I own a piece of land I think they should respect
that piece of land there. The Alliance is not anymore, we need to abolish that
Alliance thing.”
Adalia Sho, Pueblo Viejo
“We as Belizeans, especially young teenagers, come on let us talk,
let us be heard – not only leaders that are appointed, sorry not elected
because some of them are appointed to represent themselves.”
Estevan Assi, San Antonio Village
“We need to tell our present government that holding back our paper
needs to stop. We need to open the floor to the people that we need our land
paper. The present government of the day, since after election, I believe that
the excuses that the Maya leaders are the ones that are telling the government
not to release any papers to us. Because our lives need to continue. Our lives
need to continue. We need to go to the bank and borrow money to send our children
for more education, for sixth form, to get a Bachelor’s or Master’s
Degree. Because we don’t have the money, we don’t have cash money 
to do this, we need to go and borrow money. I don’t believe in communal
title, I don’t want that because I don’t want anyone in the village
to hold our title. I want to hold my own title. That is what I believe.”
Armando Choco – TCGA
“What is at the court right now does not represent what the Maya people
want. That is clear, that’s for a fact. When you go and you read the affidavits
here, it is showing clearly that they want the court to decide that all the
38 communities in the Toledo District want communal land. That is not what we
want. So then why can we have some members from us saying, look what the court
is having right now is something good for all the Mayan people. No, we’re
not being represented. Because each and everyone of you have a life to live.
No one can come and tell you that you’re looking good in your thatch house,
in your ground floor. You go hunting, you go fishing, you take your fishing
line, and then you have a bunch of tourists behind you taking pictures. We don’t
want that because we want a better life.”
And what about those things said in court, that Mayas are immigrants, that
they have no special status in Belize? Those words so insulted Christina Coc
– and what about in this setting. Well there were at least two views.
Reynaldo Ico, Organizer
“At this point we really cannot use the word insulted. However we
feel though that as the affidavit stated here, many of them say my grandparents
were from Guatemala. So maybe to a certain extent that might be true so I wouldn’t
want to say that I really really feel insulted.”
Teodoro Cho,
“I think the issue with a statement in the Supreme Court which says
that we are not indigenous, we are not indigenous to Toledo but I can tell you
the truth, that nobody loaded us into a boat and shipped us across the Atlantic
to Central America. We were here then and we are here now.”
There is a plurality of opinion clearly and it goes right down the line –
and Ico who organized the event says there’s only one instrument that
can settle it.
Reynaldo Ico,
“In every community there are some that want communal and there are
some that prefer individual land title but I am confident that through a referendum,
a referendum would prove that the majority prefer individual land title.”
The Mayan land rights case being heard at the Supreme Court finished
on Saturday morning.
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