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Well, that strong statement reached the management of the company, and today Damian Chamberlain, a representative of the company, went out to Caye Caulker to speak to them in person. We were there, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
The residents gathered around, metaphorical pitch forks at the ready. They were still upset with the sand that had been removed by barge.

They'd been promised to meet the man, the representative of this private interest who they felt was swindling them. And just before 2 pm, he arrived, with a clear purpose: to meet the upset villagers and reason with them.

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"My name is Damian Chamberlain and the company I represent is called Belize Marine and Sand Co. Ltd. We have been doing dredge work for the entire coast of Belize for the last 6 years. We have been active with this Caye Caulker sand business for 3 years now and this is our 3rd year."

"How we got into it is there is a huge need for sand here, but the dredge cannot fulfill the need because it causes too much destruction, because many of you have house lots. We decided that the best thing to do would be to create a big pile, invest in a dump truck, invest in an excavator and sell sand by the truck loads too whoever wants to buy."

"This is our 3rd year and in our 1st year we did well, we donated 167 loads to the village council in our first year; the school got some. Some individuals who couldn't afford got discounts, some got a little for free. The 2nd year once again, we left large quantities, delivered on site wherever for the use of the municipality and we sold some."

"This, our 3rd year, we have sold 2 loads, 2 loads in 8 months. Nobody is buying the sand. The sand costs us over $60,000 to put there. Help me out here, the math isn't working. So, we got a buyer from San Pedro. They want 100 truckloads and we've got all our money sitting there, equipment rotting and rusting. What do we do? Of course we sell some."

Chamberlain then immediately went on his campaign to convince them his company is fair.

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"When we got into this and when we wrote a contract with the village council, we wrote what I called a social contract. It wasn't to capitalize or make huge profit off the town's people here. It was to make the material available to help, make it so that you could filled your individual little lots; get yourself out of the mud and water that you are in. That's what it was for. It doesn't make a lot of money, it makes very little, but it does drive business for us and most importantly it allows us to keep our employees during the downtime."

And then he started explaining the nature of the business between his company and the Village Council.

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"A large sum of money was owed to us. Somebody decide to donate a bunch of sand to you all, call me up, guaranteed payment, we came out here and we pump that sand and then that individual absconded without paying his bill. So, I came to the village and I said this sand is here, we pumped it for you, and we need to get paid for it. The response was that they don't have the money to pay for it. That's how it came into the empty lot back there, we rented it from you. Let us pump sand there using your permit and let us take royalties from that sand and give it to you."

"Ten percent is like this; it takes 10 cubic yards of sand to fill a small dump truck, it gives you an idea. We pumped 4,000 cubic yards up there at a time, which is basically 400 dump trucks. Ten percent of that is 40 dump trucks, so you automatically earned 40 dump truck loads immediately, whether I sell it or not. That has been forwarded in writing. Your 40 dump trucks loads are waiting here, come get it when you want."

"If we do other jobs around the island, we guarantee you 10% on top of that. You get that as well, either in cash or in sand. It's written in our contracts."

For most of the meeting, the crowd listened intently, but the residents have developed a natural distrust, claiming that their leaders have neglected them, so there were moments like this one.

Resident
"You are talking about the village itself. If you continue digging and taking out then what will happen is that the island will start going down, erosion takes place."

"You are saying to everybody that you love this island, if you love this island, you wouldn't be taking sand from here somewhere else. I am telling you, you wouldn't."

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"There are two ways to look at that. Let me give you my way. You are thinking of a rivalry with San Pedro."

Resident
"This has nothing to do with San Pedro."

Jamie Rosado - Resident, Caye Caulker Village
"We are thinking about the betterment for Caye Caulker. That's what we want."

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"If you don't want your sand to go to San Pedro, no more sand will leave the island."

Jamie Rosado - Resident, Caye Caulker Village
"We have made that decision already."

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"The next time you have something to say then call me and tell me."

And then this proposal started swaying them

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"I am not here today to talk about the obvious. I am not here to point fingers. I am not here to encourage your rivalry with San Pedro. I am not here to diminish your relationship with your village council, who by the way I think are doing a fantastic job."

"I don't live here. I've been coming here since I was a boy. I own property here and my taxes are fully paid up. Check with the village council. I love this place. A lot of these people know me for many years. I come here often."

"What I was about to get to was what I want to do right now today is I'm going to sweetened this deal right here on the spot right now. We are going to increase the percentage to the village council to 25%."

When the residents started understanding the significance that truce, they started signing up.

Resident
"If you are saying if we buy the sand in Caye Caulker, it's not going to be taken to San Pedro?"

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"It doesn't have to."

Resident
"Who do we speak to about buying your sand?"

Resident
"I am prepared to buy 3 truckloads of sand. Who am I supposed to approach right now?"

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"Right here, I'll take your name down."

Jamie Rosado - Resident, Caye Caulker Village
"Do we have a guarantee now that no more sand will leave Caye Caulker to San Pedro?"

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"Do I have a guarantee that you all are going to buy some sand today?"

Jamie Rosado - Resident, Caye Caulker Village
"Isn't this enough proof? That's what we wanted."

After that hour long meeting, chamberlain told us that he felt that he won them over after clearing up that he wasn't an adversary.

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"Pure miscommunication and lack of the appropriate knowledge."

Daniel Ortiz
"What is your final position at this time once the villagers keep up with the buying of the sand? It will stay here?"

Damian Chamberlain - Representative, Belize Marine & Sand Company Ltd.
"Yes, the sand will stay here and we will continue to pump sand and if we keep this program alive we will get this place looking fantastic, that the next rainy season comes and it will be fine."

Today, Chamberlain also explained that his contract with the Village Council actually expires in 2016. What expires on December 31 is his permit which the Department of Petroleum and Geology grants him to dredge for the sand. Without that permit, which he will apply to renew, he cannot continue to dredge, but the present sand that he has in Area A still belongs to him under the arrangement of the contract with the Council.

He also told the residents that his company has made several concessions with the past council's administration, which has been to his company's expense in terms of sand donation for road repairs.

So, where did the sand from the 2 last week's ago? Well, according to Chamberlain, he was contracted by the Ministry of Tourism to provide it for the Sustainable Tourism Program, which, as we showed you, is making major upgrades on San Pedro.