Amandala has been reliably informed that at an extraordinary meeting of the Toledo Alcalde Association (TAA) held today, a decision was taken to appeal last Thursday’s Court of Appeal ruling, dismissing an injunction against the Government of Belize, to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Cristina Coc, spokesperson for the Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA), which helped to organize today’s meeting, told Amandala after today’s meeting, which she said was attended by 7 busloads of people, that the decision was unanimous. Coc said that representatives of 39 Maya villages in the south renewed their commitment to press ahead with the cause.

As a consequence of last Thursday’s ruling by the Court of Appeal, the MLA and TAA were forced to withdraw their application to the Supreme Court, in which they were asking the court to cite the Government of Belize for contempt, in relation to a push to drill for oil on ancestral lands. That case was due to be called up today, Monday.

Coc said that the Maya of Toledo believe it is now best that they go to a higher court on the matter.

Antoinette Moore, SC, who has been representing the Maya villages since the 2007 Maya Land Rights case for Conejo and Santa Cruz, gave a legal presentation and interpretation to the Maya today, of the 198-page Court of Appeal decision.