It seems there is a dictator in Toledo.

Chairman Coc said he was in disbelief. Hon. Coy was disrespectful and callous, and when the “honourable” one was told that such an act is illegal, he replied that he has made up his mind and there is nothing the Chairman could do about it.

Hon. Coy has also installed his own village alcalde, one Andres Maquin. But villagers are not happy with the selection because Maquin can’t even be found in the village. A violent altercation occurred on Monday in the community and when the villagers went looking for alcalde Maquin, they learnt he was working in Placencia.

Next on line for the UDP coup is the replacing of the members of the village water board.

For several weeks there have been reports of Hon. Coy going around the villages to make threats that he will not work with a number of village councils because the members are not UDPs. Chairman Coc learnt of this personally when he had approached Hon. Coy for assistance for the residents of the village but was rudely brushed away by the UDP junior minister.

Chairman Coc said he respects democracy and the will of his people. He recognizes that he was elected as Chairman of the Village in 2006 and he plans to continue serving until the end of the three-year term, as long as he still has the support from the villagers.

A meeting is being planned in San Marcos for Saturday, April 26th, in which the duly elected village council will inform the villagers of the actions being taken by the dictator-like Area Representative.

The BELIZE TIMES contacted Rogelio Oliva, the Toledo representative in the National Association of Village Councils (NAVCO), on Monday afternoon to find out if the association was aware of the actions to remove duly-elected councils. Oliva told us he was aware of the incident in San Marcos and he had met Chairman Coc, who according to him, agreed to step down.

When we re-contacted Chairman Coc on Tuesday morning, he out-rightly denied speaking to or having even met Rogelio Oliva, and said that it is Hon. Coy who is trying to force a new council on the village.

Could it be Hon. Coy also has deep pockets, deep enough for magistrates and non-government organization officials?

The BELIZE TIMES will continue to follow this story.