On Friday we promised to bring you the details of Nigel Petillo's Sunday meeting. He'd located another piece of land, located very near to the parcels owned by the Belmopan Land Development Corporation, and was once again inviting his supporters to squat for the title. But Petillo was thwarted in his community activism by the police. Cherisse Halsall Has the story.
On Sunday morning the traffic to Cotton Tree was controlled by a police checkpoint.
Belizeans hoping to answer Petillo's call were stopped and turned around leaving the land activist alone and once again having to hide in the bushes, by the time the media found him, he was incensed:
Nigel Petillo, Land Activist
"If we can' meet physically right now we will meet however we have to meet right now, but meet we'll meet, the message has to get out. New development we have people who is interested in investing in this movement as far as making monies available for buying land, that means you as well the grass roots people who say you want land - all come together let us put our monies together and buy a huge track of land on the highway somewhere. Land is all around this place for sale. If the government doesn't want to hear us and deal with us which they should. We could do it. You give me $300, you $300 and all of us put our monies and we buy 400-500 acres of land together. We don't want people feel like we are just targeting people land that is sitting down. There are other solutions and here is another one again. Where are our representatives, why can't they come up with these solutions. Why are they fighting us down for this discussion? Nobody is here with machete to cause any war or destruction. We are trying to have a peaceful discussion about how we move forward when it comes to land ownership amongst ourselves. You should have been here Mr. Authority."
Reporter:
"So, so what you are doing right now could amount to you being in hiding right now, is that what you're doing?"
Nigel Petillo, Land Activist
"I am hiding actually Paul, I'm hiding I don't want them to hold me right now. I am still trying to have a meeting. Since I cant be out there physically because I might get arrested I decide I will do this meeting right here and hopefully when I'm done from here I can make my way pcefully to my farm."
"When grassroots people come together and show that they're frustrated and fed up we are met with the police, with big guns this is what's happening again this morning a whole amount of people were already making their way to Cotton Tree when from 6:00 o'clock a checkpoint was already on the highway, from 6'oclock and 5:30 I got word that they were looking for me all about my farm, all about my house, I diverted all that I made sure I didn't stay around but this is not right. This is harassment as far as I'm concerned now, this is harassment."
And back at Harmonyville Petillo was joined by a special guest
Hon. Cordel Hyde, National Deputy, PUP
"Whether you want to support Petillo or whether you want to attack Petillo, you can't attack the movement. You can't attack the cause, you can't questioned the caused."
Reporter:
"How do you respond to the criticisms that suggest that you have been in power for some time and you could have done something about this and that perhaps you're an opportunist just taking advantage of a movement that is now receiving some traction? How do you respond to that criticism?"
Hon. Cordel Hyde, National Deputy, PUP
"When I had the opportunity in the parliament in August of last year when this bill came to the house I present in the house, this is not what anyone came to tell me, this is what I can see plain and straight. We were in government a dozen years ago, we did a lot of things that we weren't supposed to do, that's why we got kicked out of government. we've lost 15 straight elections since then, but you can't imprison me for what had already happened then."
And while Hyde showed up to support the movement he couldn't get behind it's rallying cry.
Hon. Cordel Hyde, National Deputy, PUP
"Petillo they say no land no vote and it sounds good you know, it sounds catchy, infectious even. I wonder if Ras Indio had his hand in that because it almost sounds poetic and musical. But you have to vote because the people, If you don't vote somebody will vote and decide who will be the people to decide who will get land and who won't get land. You have to protest but you also have to vote."
And if you thought he was defeated by the stifling of his Sunday meeting, think again. Petillo has promised to take meetings online vowing the movement for access to land is one that won't stop.
Nigel Petillo, Land Activist
"This problem, unu can't stop this you know. We will continue this won't stop it can be solved. That I can tell you. Again, they wrote of 90 million dollars in land tax for rich people how will you write of 100 million and then go and borrow 100 million to build road. That was your 100 million right there. That piss me off you know that bother me a lot but poor people can't get land yet."
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