Government insists it consulted with all Maya parties on Consent Protocol

By Aaron Humes: The announcement of the filing of the Maya of Southern Belize Free Prior Informed Consent Protocol (“FPIC”) filed with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on January 25, 2022 has not been met with universal approval, but the Government has said that it has done its job in that regard.

A statement from the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, along with the Commissioner of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs insists that “Any claim of a lack of consultation on the part of Government is not so and therefore Government rejects that notion.”

As proof it lists all the organizations it conducted “a series of further inclusive and extensive consultations with” under the umbrella of the Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA) including, but not limited to, the Toledo Alcaldes Association (TAA), the Toledo Maya Cultural Council (TMCC), the District Association of Village Councils (DAVCO), the Kekchi Council of Belize (KCB), the Toledo Maya Women’s Council (TMWC), the Julian Cho Society (JCS) and the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM). There were proposals exchanged and face-to-face discussions between March and November of 2021, after which Cabinet considered the results.

The final version of the Protocol affirms that the Government, as well as third parties, must consult with the Mopan and Q’eqchi people prior to proceeding with initiatives or projects which may affect the Maya villages’ rights on their land, territory, and resources. This Protocol has been many years in the making, with multiple revisions resulting from numerous consultations with relevant parties.

Belmopan asserts that it recognizes and gives prominence to the alcalde system of governance of the Maya and thus the TAA; however, it clarifies that the MLA/TAA “do not encompass the entire Maya customary governance system,” and backs the prior claim by SATIIM, the KCB and TMCC in their joint press release that there is no collective governance system among the Maya and that “Customary governance is based at the village level, and as such, the authority to make decisions resides solely in meetings convened by village members, and not a collective or association. Furthermore, the FPIC recognizes this principle of Maya customary law: that village members at a village meeting, and not only the leaders, are the supreme decision-making authority.”

Government reiterated its commitment to constructing new and beneficial relations of trust with the Maya Peoples and believes it has complied with the CCJ request that the FPIC be filed as agreed by the end of January.

Minister Dolores Balderamos Garcia and Commissioner Gregory Ch’oc will further address the media shortly.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.

© 2022, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.