So today SATIIM went to the Supreme Court asking for an injunction to stop any further pre drilling activity. But, that request was set aside when Justice Michelle Arana told them that her judgement would be issued next week. So, with that, they agreed to hold off on the injunction. But, attorney for US Capital Michael Peyrefitte was not impressed. He said it's all just public relations engineering:...

Michael Peyrefitte, attorney for US Capital
"They have no issue with us drilling in the park. There is no environmental resistance you know to the company drilling in the park or the government issuing a license to drill in the park - they have no objections to that you know. They have no objection to say you can drill all you want, you can build a 7 kilometer road in the park - we don't care about that, what we care about is that if you find oil this is the amount of money we want. This is not about some caring about the national park. This is about what will be the percentage of the revenues that they will received. It would be foolish of any company to move into those communities to drill for oil and not communicate with the people, not talk to the people, not engage them, not hire them, not deal with them, not having respect for their traditions and their wishes. We do. That is not the issue. We came to court... listen to me Adele, with all due respect. If the media would do some real reporting and look at the affidavits, look at the claims, look at the timeline. The only time this matter was brought to court was when there was an issue as to what cut the Mayan leadership would get from this."

"They have done a great job of looking like they are such big time victims and they are not. They all speak great English although they pretend not to. They are all well-educated, well trained, well backed and when you talk to them, no matter what you talk to them about, it all comes down to their share of the pie."

"I guess I can respect the teachers, the teachers make no qualms about it "we want money, we want a raise." The Maya should be just as honest with the people of Belize and say their only issue with this case is their cut of the pie."

Greg Choq, Executive Director SATIIM
"Having said what he said, I want to clear here that everybody deserves to live in dignity. Everybody deserves their rights that are guaranteed by the constitution of this country. So, if asking for, or asking to ensure environmental justice is too much, if asking for respects of the rights of indigenous people is too much, if asking for respect for the rule of law is too much, if asking to ensure economic equality is too much then it speaks a lot of the mindset of those who lead this country because all of those that I just described are grounded in the constitution of this country."

But Peyrefitte says legality or illegality isn't the issue. He continued his very outspoken rant against the Mayan leadership - saying that this dispute is not about the law, or the environment, or even oil; he says it's about money:...

Michael Peyrefitte, attorney for US Capital
"If it is so important to you that the environment be preserved, if it is so important to you that such activities not take place, why do you keep abandoning your application for injunction? Why? If there is such imminent damage, if there is such imminent danger then you would want to press for that, but every time we come to court the question is okay if a decision can be heard by them then we don't need any injunction. That clearly indicates that there is nothing that is of any urgent need to address."

Greg Choq, Executive Director SATIIM
"We feel that Thursday, and it's one of the main issues why we adjourned the injunction last year because we want the substantive claim that we are positive that the Court of Appeal has upheld that those lands belong to the community, so we are confident that we will gain more grounds on the substantive claim. So we believe that it was important for us to move instead of the injunction. Injunction pretty much stops what they are doing. It doesn't really answer the question; are the activities that government is engaged in and US Capital is engaged in legal or illegal?"

Justice Arana will issue judgment next week Thursday.