BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 10, 2020– Early Sunday morning, many supporters of land activist Nigel Petillo gathered by the George Price Highway, near Mile 44 in Cotton Tree Village, where Petillo had identified another parcel of land, located next to the land that is said to be owned by the Belmopan Land Development Corporation, represented by Glen Ysaguirre and his son Jarrad.
The number of landless grassroots people who attempted to attend the meeting highlights once more the plight of landless Belizeans and the absence of a comprehensive policy to address their situation. These Belizeans have therefore accepted the idea of squatting on land in order to stake a claim to their own plot of land.
Petillo’s meeting with his supporters, however, did not take place, because heavily armed police who were manning several checkpoints turned back those who were attempting to attend the meeting, Petillo told us in a telephone interview Sunday morning, before he sought the safety of the bushes from police.
When reporters caught up with Petillo, he explained that if the authorities want to prevent him from having his meeting, he will find another way to make such a meeting take place. “But meet we will”, Petillo exclaimed.
Petillo went on to explain that they do not just want to take over idle lands, but that there are people who want to invest in his movement. Petillo said they can pool their funds together to make an offer to buy lands.
Petillo characterized the police’s action as “harassment,” because he was made to understand that the police were looking for him since early in the morning.
Later during the day, Petillo was joined at his Harmonyville property by the People’s United Party (PUP) National Deputy Leader, Hon. Cordel Hyde (Lake Independence).
“Whether you want to support Petillo or whether you want to attack Petillo, you can’t attack the movement. You can’t attack the cause, you can’t question the cause,” Hon. Hyde told reporters.
Hon. Hyde was asked to respond to the criticism, “that you have been in power for some time and you could have done something about this and that perhaps you’re an opportunist just taking advantage of a movement that is now receiving some traction.”
“When I had the opportunity in the parliament in August of last year when this bill came to the House, I present it in the House. This is not what anyone came to tell me, this is what I can see plain and straight. We were in government a dozen years ago; we did a lot of things that we weren’t supposed to do, that’s why we got kicked out of government. We’ve lost 15 straight elections since then, but you can’t imprison me for what had already happened then,” Hon. Hyde remarked.
Petillo, who began his land activism under the banner of the Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association (BGYEA) and has been instrumental in the establishment of Harmonyville, has formed a new organization. Land Advocacy for National Development and Sustainability (LANDS). The group’s slogan is “No land. No vote.”
When it comes to their slogan, however, Hon. Hyde is not onboard, because he is of the view that voting is important.
This is how he explained his position regarding the “No land. No vote” slogan.
“Petillo they say ‘no land, no vote’, and it sounds good, you know. It sounds catchy, infectious even. I wonder if Ras Indio had his hand in that, because it almost sounds poetic and musical. But you have to vote because the people —if you don’t vote, somebody will vote and decide who will be the people to decide who will get land and who won’t get land. You have to protest, but you also have to vote,” Hon. Hyde offered.
Feature photo: (l-r) Hon. Cordel Hyde and Nigel Petillo