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Once again, he is inviting citizens to come out, take affirmative action, and stake a claim on it. He called a press conference today put out that public invitation. Here are a few excerpts from that conversation today:

Nigel Petillo
"I want to invite you all to our meeting Sunday at Cotton Tree. We have a piece of land, near the said piece of land that's in dispute right now that we're going to be gathering. We'll be practicing and respecting the social distance rules. Wear your masks, keep your distance from each other. No more than 40 in a little group."

"Elections are right around the curve. This is an opportunity for you, the Government, the Opposition - again, I'm calling you out - the Opposition, any other party that's out there, the churches, the Chamber of Commerce, the different unions, BNTU, NTUCB. This is a serious matter, it affects us all. Don't worry about the messenger. If you don't like how I look, sorry about that. But, the message is real. Let's join forces, to make some serious changes. If we are serious about changes in this country, make available for every poor man. No land, no vote. No land no vote! No land, No vote!"

"I want to remind you same police, the BDF, the Coast Guard, the teachers, nurses, you frontline workers who they were talking so much about the other day, many of you don't own land, and many of you will never own land because they don't care about you. Join this movement. This movement has your best interest at heart. I am not asking you to come and do anything against those who are your bosses. I am asking for you to stand up, and let them understand that that you need to look out for you as well, as well as your unborn children, and the children that you have now."

So, if you're wondering if his plan to squat at this location is maybe half-baked, the press challenged him on that today. Here's how that conversation went:

Reporter
"You're seeming now to be asking for persons to come out on Sunday to identify another piece of land. Where are we with that? Is this other land properly investigated in terms of its ownership? What happens there? What is to lead the public once again to follow you, where there's no certainty on who owns that piece of land?"

Nigel Petillo
"Again, as you said, there is no certainty on who owns that piece of land. We still haven't seen any document which says that this title belongs to anybody, etcetera. We are doing our little research. We are trying to find land available for our people. We have people in that area who have been working that land for 20 years. You and everybody who pass that highway can see the works that have been taking place. You don't have to drive in any at all, right on the highway, work is on that land for quite some time. Where were the owners? How come, all-of-a-sudden, they are so interested."

Daniel Ortiz, Reporter
"I've spoken to regular folks like you and me, who see your points, that poor people need land indeed. They can support you for trying to push for other Belizeans to become first-time landowners. But, they disagree with your method because you're encouraging an illegal act. You're encouraging squatting, sir."

Nigel Petillo
"I see you brought up squatting again. Around the country, I'll remind you. In fact, when you get through, you can travel with me from here to PG all the way up to the north. And I can show you communities that have been squatting that we don't even have to go off the highway to look. It is there. Meaning, you, me, and everybody can see it, visibly. The Ministers see it as well. The authorities see it, and they pay no mind to it. In fact, to tell you the truth, secretly, they go and greet these people, give them their voter's ID, and get them their land documents, period. Squatting has worked for those people. We can't buy land, Ortiz. Do you not understand that? We can't just afford to go to the Lands Department and get a piece of land. They don't recognize us. We don't contribute to elections other than just a vote. So, we have to do what we've seen has been taking place for other people. And it works for them. So, we will do it. If we have to squat to get a piece of land, that's what we'll do. Why do we have to squat?"

"Squatting has been taking place around this country for decades. Our brothers and sisters from Central American countries, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, etc., have been occupying lands throughout this country. Today, they are landowners. They are voters. They have broken the cycle of poverty among their families."

"I am not hating. I am admiring, I am showing you what land did for them. And they are not from here. We are from here. Why can't we get land? Why everything we come together and organize ourselves, and discuss or come up with solutions to solve our generational curse, we become problems."

Petillo's event happens this coming Sunday morning, and we'll tell you how that one went on Monday.