And while that story shows the high level of friction between the buffer communities and US Capital Energy – from the perspective of the state, the directive remains: Drill at Will. As the PM told the media today, he sees no issue in between competing claims on ownership and control of the lands US Capital hopes to drill on. He says those are vested thoroughly and exclusively in the state:
Reporter
"Are the current relations between the government and the Maya people concerning to you and how do you foresee things going forward?"
Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"Are the relations concerning? No, not more than, I am concerned about all the people of Belize and the relations with all of them."
Reporter
"In terms of them thinking of changing their approach."
Hon. Dean Barrow
"I don't know that."
Reporter
"and their hard talk."
Hon. Dean Barrow
"Well, as Jules Vasquez famously said, I famously don't watch the news. No I'm not worried about that. We have, I believe, put out a statement saying that we respect the courts' decision, even though we are appealing it and so no new titles, nothing of the sort will be done, in the Toledo District; that ought to satisfy them. If it doesn't, then I'm afraid they are off base, they are out of kilter. The SATIM National Park is a National Park you know. The court hearings, the litigation, were at the instance of the villages and the court talked about lands owned by the villages. As far as I am concerned, the national park is not included in that and in any event, the national park is subject to a particular legal and statutory regime. In my view, there can be no question of any kind of ownership, other than the ownership of the state, when it comes to national park."
The validity of that position is expected to be tested in court soon when an injunction hearing against US Capital Energy is heard.
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