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Guat squatters inside Belize’s Chiquibul National Park

GeneralGuat squatters inside Belize’s Chiquibul National Park

"…we cannot leave this for too long, particularly inside a protected area, where disturbance and the human footprint are already high…" says Manzanero, executive director of FCD

Reports reaching Amandala are that there are 31 Guatemalans living inside the Chiquibul National Park, immediately along the border, within Belizean territory.
  
We had previously reported, citing Belize Defence Force sources, a count of 29 Guatemalans settling illegally in Belize along the border zone.
  
However, according to Rafael Manzanero, executive director of Friends for Conservation and Development, that number has increased: “In February 2010, there were 29; today our records show that there are 31,” said Manzanero.
  
He added, “In the next few months, two others may make it on the list, as two females may be bearing babies soon. Our records also show that a Honduran national has been living in the Retiro area since seven months ago. Apparently he got married to a person residing in the area since birth. We are certainly concerned, because these persons are found inside the Chiquibul National Park, an area where our regulations are clear that no settlements or occupation is allowed. No Belizeans are allowed to reside there, while immigrants are doing so for so many years.”
    
The Chiquibul National Park (CNP) spans 264,003 acres – the largest protected area in Belize. It is part of a system of protected areas that are prized for their role in maintaining the reserves of nature to promote environmental health and the preservation of life by ensuring that a portion of the country’s wildlife and tropical broadleaf forestry resources are left intact.
  
“The settlers have been known to exist [in the CNP] for many years though, as noted, they keep on increasing in numbers,” said Manzanero.
  
Both Belize defense and Foreign Affairs officials claimed, when Amandala raised the question of relocation, that it has been delayed because the OAS does not have the funds to relocate them.
           
Said Manzanero: “We have been following the developments along this border since 2006, and the trend seems to be one where the number of people is increasing, while a solution of moving the settlers back into Guatemala is slow.
  
“We certainly understand the concept of relocation and the goodwill of providing the settlers with a decent housing back in Guatemala, but we cannot leave this for too long, particularly inside a protected area, where disturbance and the human footprint are already high – a situation found nowhere else in the country. It will cost someone more finances to deal with this in the future if left unattended.”
  
Manzanero stresses that families there are growing: “Meanwhile, the settlers there continue to use the resources found in this jungle – namely trees, wild animals, land.
  
“One of the persons living in the area of Retiro has been there for some 20 years and the size of clearing he has done over the years is approximately 360 acres – all of it inside the Chiquibul National Park.”
  
Manzanero points out that the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between Belize and Guatemala declare that there should be no expansion of settlements after October 1, 2000; that parties from both countries will cooperate to prevent land conflict that can lead to tensions; that the parties should communicate incidents to the Secretary-General of the OAS in order to contain, resolve and prevent a repetition of such events.
  
Directing his appeal to Belizean authorities, Manzanero said that Belize needs to quickly address the increase of inhabitants in the Chiquibul National Park.
  
The Confidence Building Measures are very specific on steps to address such occurrences: (1) The pertinent authorities in Belize and Guatemala, and the OAS are informed of the settlements; (2) The ministries of Foreign Affairs respectively proceed to notify the Embassy of the other country and the OAS, and will solicit for a joint verification of the existence, location and status of the settlement, (3) Verification should be done within a 72-hour period after the request is made. The verification is made by the OAS who will invite representatives of Government from Belize and Guatemala. Human rights representatives from both countries will also be invited to participate in the joint exercise of verification. (4.) Within seven days of the ground verification, the OAS will present the results to the parties. The settlers are then notified of the results in the company of an OAS representative, and the settlers will have a period of seven days to relocate voluntarily. After the expiration of such a time, the settlers are subject to legal procedures by the competent tribunal.

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