Is Our Natural Wealth Really ‘Untold?’

On 1st November 2007, on a local television show in Orange Walk Town, Dean Barrow pronounced “vamos a quitar los terrenos porque es necesario redistribuir,” translation:  “we will take away lands because we need to redistribute.”  While it created some discussion nationally, most Belizeans thought that Mr. Barrow was pandering to his supporters during a national election campaign. After all Belize, unlike some of our neighbours, has always been governed by the rule of law.

Today, one year, seven months later, thousands of Belizeans are living the nightmare that the government of Belize is attempting to illegally take away their lands.  Ask single mother Edna Samayoa of Armenia Village, Cayo district, Edna claims that as soon as the UDP won in 2008, the Area Representative Ramon Witz started harassing her to get off her land. This was despite the fact that she has a legally issued lease and is living on the land. With the consent of Minister Grabby Vega, her lease was cancelled and the same land issued to a supporter of the UDP. Miss Edna’s only recourse was to go to the Supreme Court, a process way too costly for a poor single mother.  But she had no choice, you see she had already appealed to the Prime Minister and nothing was done for her.

Like Miss Edna there are thousands of Belizeans being affected because they are suspected PUP supporters.  On the other hand, UDP cronies are all demanding some of these very lands, and as far as this administration is concerned, it is to the winner go the spoils.

In Ranchito, Corozal almost 300 Belizeans are fighting back.  These residents have met and decided to fight the UDP government that is attempting to take away their land. Likewise, Belizeans in Orange Walk, Cayo, Belize, Stann Creek and Toledo are coming together to jointly fight the government to keep their lands.

In the private sector, what is happening to these Belizeans is a sick joke. Business people talk of getting calls to meet the Minister because the land title they have was “illegally” issued by the previous government and must be “regularized.”  . The Minister, it is said, meets with them, informs them that the price has been re-evaluated and they must pay a new purchase price. As soon as they leave they get a call from a so called “land consultant” who indicates to them that for a certain fee they can fix their problems with the minister. If you have a lease or a title and you can’t get it transferred because the Land Registry is under lockdown – NO PROBLEM, there are a number of people close to the Minister who can fix it for you - supposedly for a fee.

Every attorney worth his salt, or at least his weight in integrity, will tell you that what the Ministry of Natural Resources is doing is illegal - ask the Attorney General.  Worse yet, the damage that this Barrow administration is doing to Belize is incalculable because investors are now wary about investing in Belize. No Minister should be allowed to abuse his position and arbitrarily determine what is legal and what is not. That is why we have the courts. 

The history of the PUP on land reform is a proud one. The PUP in the early 50’s was the first organization to realise that for Belizeans to really feel like owners of the country they had to own the land. So in the 1960s and 1970s, the Rt. Honourable George Price and successive PUP governments acquired huge tracts of land from the Corozal district to the Toledo district and sub-divided them into agricultural plots and house lots. Tens of thousands of Belizeans got their land and started the process of the peaceful constructive Belizean revolution.

Under the last PUP government, over 65,000 leases and titles were issued to all Belizeans, respective of political affiliation. Under the Land Management Program, over 45,000 parcels of land were surveyed from Corozal to the Belize district, including areas in Belize City like Albert and Mesopotamia. For the first time, thousands of Belizeans were getting their lands surveyed so that they could get their titles or leases. Land was being made affordable to Belizeans, empowering them economically.

But why is there so much controversy surrounding the Ministry of Natural Resources today? Why is the Minister acting in a manner which shows a lack of concern about whether his actions are legal or illegal? Why are Belizeans clamouring for more land? Clearly Belizeans are more aware of the value of owning a parcel or piece of land and as such the demand continues to rise.  With this the demand on the Minister to provide land is also rising while the availability of land remains unchanged. 

The Ministry of Natural Resources must modernize its laws. Many of the laws in our books were written during the colonial times; the power to issue lands must be a transparent process and should not be left entirely to the discretion of any one minister.

Likewise, we must hold our public officers accountable for their actions.  Transactions done at the ministry must be handled in a manner that makes tracking easy and all transactions must be handled ‘first come first served’ and those found to be involved in bribes dealt with immediately and efficiently.

The wealth of a nation starts with land; but other resources make up the wealth of our Nation.  Our National Anthem states: that “nature has blessed thee with wealth untold,” this wealth includes the largest barrier reef in the region, the majestic Maya mountains, our rivers, rain forests and our fertile lands.  As Belizeans we can only truly appreciate and love what our Creator has richly blessed us with when it is for the benefit of all, especially the poorest among us.

It is time for us to ensure that people like Edna Samayoa of Armenia Village and others like her live the spirit of our National Anthem and be allowed to play their role in our national development.  Let us not take away from those who already have less - let us provide for everyone in a fair and just manner.