The Prime Minister also discussed the dispute about oil drilling when the media caught him this morning.
As has been reported, the Mayan Villages in the Sarstoon Temash National Park will be going to the courts to try and block oil exploration in the Park and on lands deemed to be Mayan Communal Property.
Today the Prime Minister revealed a new strategy - and that is to offer the communities a slice of the pie if they cooperate with the oil company:
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"We're prepared to use the working interest share of the oil revenue, if there were to be a discovery in Toledo, to fund a trust on which the community leaders would have equal representation with Government, and the trust monies would then finance a community development project in the Toledo District. So, perhaps - it's going to be troubling to some people that we're actually prepared to ear-mark a share of oil revenues coming from that district for that district. The people in Blue Creek or Spanish Lookout might say, 'Why not us?' But, we think there are peculiar circumstances in Toledo, so a seat at the table for us to work out the details of the trust and how it will become posed, and how it will function, absolutely. But, if you're going to court to stop the drilling, then there will be no money, and there will be no proceeds to share."
That would be 2% of the working interest to be set aside in a trust. The Toledo Alcalde's Association fired off a response to the Prime Minister by early this afternoon.
The Letter says that they would like more details on what a working interest means. It adds that they are prepared to meet with the government and its representatives urgently.
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