Prince William and his wife, Kate the Duchess of Cambridge arrive in
Belize on Saturday afternoon - and a highlight of their trip is a visit
to a cacao farm in the Toledo District.
The problem is - it's in Indian Creek village - which has been in open
conflict with Flora and Fauna International which owns an adjoining,
contested property. More than that Prince William is a patron of that
conservation organization.
And it appears to villagers preparations are being made for the
Prince's helicopter to and on the village football field. And tonight
they are saying they weren't consulted and they don't want the Prince
in their village!
The villagers met today - and word out of the meeting is that they have
planned a protest for 10:30 am tomorrow to flatly object to the visit.
This occurs in the context of ongoing agitation against the state about
the meaning of consent in the context of communal land rights - rights
to lands that were expunged in the colonial period by the British. We
note that Flora and Fauna International's royal connections run deep,
and Prince William is the latest in a long line of Patrons from the
Royal Family that stretches back beyond the reign of his
great-grandfather, King George VI.