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Defusing Tension Between Laguna and Yemeri Villages in Toledo 
posted (April 20, 2023)
And moving down south, we have been reporting on the situation between Laguna and Yemeri Grove. As you know, there are concerns about the delineation between the two villages which have caused major tensions.  

And today, those tensions flared up again, and the police had to get involved. The Minister said that she was disappointed and would hope that the residents would "hold it down" until they could reach an amicable solution.

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
"We are just being informed that there may be a a little potential situation brewing in the laguna and Yemeni grove area but… I have been in touch with the commissioner of police and we of course our commissioner Mr Greg Cho will be out there… to see what we can do about it. But please let me repeat since it's going around the media I have asked all the parties to stand down, to take it easy, to hold it down as we say in Belize Kriol ‘hol' it down till we can down until we can do the demarcation of the boundaries in a way maybe not maybe not everybody will will like it but at least there can be compromise and we can do the limitation of boundaries in consultation with neighbouring villages weather it's Maya or non Mayan .

"I can go ahead and tell you that this week on Tuesday Cabinet was considering what we call the Maya customary land tenure policy.and You know we had all our top people we had our senior council we had our commissioner we had our CEO and our advisor the deputy solicitor general and we had a very extensive and good discussion in cabinet especially in relation to how we are going to pass the legislation and try to marry the two issues of private land ownership and the communal land ownership that is claimed under the em under the Caribbean court of justice ruling which by the way is in eight years old now. But I must tell you I must say it to all of the media and all the Belizean people that it's a complex issue the court realises that it is a complex issue we have ben trying our best to see how we move the process along but it's not an overnight thing. The legislation and the whole framework of Legislation and administration is something that government would have to work on very very assiduously"

Reporter:
"Is it getting violent Down in Yemeri and Laguna?"

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
"I can't say because I haven't received that information but the information that I received and I am called the commissioner of police is that there maybe some level of em of of back and forth and hard words but am my understanding is that the parties have already left the scene but I have asked Mr Choc to go with the senior police of Toledo to talk with the various parties."

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