BELIZE CITY, Sun. June 7, 2020– The Belize Police Department deployed a large contingent of its officers early this morning in the vicinity of Mile 44 on the George Price Highway and broke up a planned meeting by land activist Nigel Petillo.

On Sunday, May 17, Petillo had attempted to bring together landless grassroots Belizeans after he had identified a plot of land that had been idle for many years.

Police similarly had descended and broken up that meeting, arresting Petillo for violating the State of Emergency.

The following week, Glen Ysaguirre, the former Central Bank Governor, and his son, attorney Jaraad Ysaguirre, came forward to announce that they are representatives of a company, Belmopan Land Development Corporation, which has title to the property which Petillo had originally asserted was idle land.

In a brief telephone interview this morning, Petillo told us that he had planned a meeting with landless Belizeans this morning at a property that was adjacent to the land at Mile 44 that the Ysaguirres said is titled property.

Petillo told us, “It’s not the same land that we were going on. But the police brought out about 40 heavily armed policemen and they moved everyone.”

Petillo, however, was still determined to have his meeting, and so he moved the venue to his private property at Harmonyville.

Petillo went live on Facebook to tell people who wanted to attend the meeting that the venue had changed.

“I just want to have a peaceful meeting with these people, to give them an update on the land situation,” Petillo said.

“As we speak right now, the police is at my place, roughing up people,” Petillo explained.

“Hundreds of people who were heading to the meeting were turned back. The police set up three checkpoints on the highway,” Petillo said.

“This is a police state we are living now,” Petillo said in exasperation, as he changed his location and our call ended.

Under the State of Emergency, which is scheduled to come to an end on June 30, the police still have a lot of power when it comes to the movement of people, notwithstanding the government’s relaxation of some of the stiff State of Emergency measures.

Feature photo: Police prevented Petillo from having his meeting