7 News Belize

Harmonyville Calls For Protest Against GOB
posted (February 12, 2013)
9 Months ago, Nigel Petillo, the President of the Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association, B(I)GYEA, told us at 7News that the plans for his fledgling community, Harmonyville were moving along briskly.

But today, Petillo and his organization, along with other activists and supporters called a press conference to announce that things have changed. And now, they want the nation to support them in a national Demonstration. He wants the public to join his group in making a statement against the alleged structural resistance and foot-dragging which exists at the Lands Department.

Here's what he had to say at that press conference:

Nigel Petillo - President, BGYEAH
"An amount of 1,300 plus acres of land was issued to us. We surveyed that land at our own expense at over half a million Belizean dollars, at the expense of the grassroots people, without a cent from the Government up to date, not in assistance in infrastructure or anything. We have done it on our own. And that's why I believe in the grassroots people because I know that you all can do it."

"Our presentation this morning is also to announce that we will be putting a national demonstration, which is high-time now. We know of several communities which have been going through the same problems that we here at BGYEAH, Harmonyville have been going through. I repeat, this is not a BGYEAH issue, or just a Harmonyville issue; this is a Belizean issue. This is a national Belizean issue that we're all faced with, from Corozal, all the way down to PG, Belize across to Benque. Central American brothers and sisters have been inhabiting land in Belize for decades now. You, me, and every leader in this country are away of that. Those immigrants are met with compassion, and greeted with love by our politicians and leaders for a vote. Our resources are being thrown away, given away, and mismanaged by our leaders today. We, here on the panel, at the head table, are asking that the Government put immediate emphasis and put in place a system that all Belizeans could see a fair and just system where we all have access to land."

"It's not about us, and although we get some of those documents, what are we to do, just shut up because get our little 'paper'? How about all those older Belizeans who can't go to Lands Department, up and down, who can't call talk shows every minute, who probably don't even think that their voices are heard when they sound problems like these. We are sounding the alarm for the many thousands of Belizeans who have the daily problems at the Lands Department."

That demonstration is scheduled for February 26 in Belmopan, and is scheduled to coincide with a House sitting.

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