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Today was supposed to be the expiration date for US Capital Energy’s drilling permit inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park, but as we’ve told you, the Government of Belize has waved it.

That official letter arrived yesterday to the company from the Administrator of the National Parks and the Chief Forestry Officer, noting that at the behest of the government, the expiration date has been waived.

That means that the company will be allowed to continue their activities tomorrow as per normal, but the Mayans from the Buffer Communities opposing the oil company say that they will be acting as security tomorrow, “the day after US Capital's permit expiresâ€￾. With a promise – or a threat, depending on how you take it – that they will be making a presence every day after that. We asked US Capital Energy’s attorney today if this is a matter for concern.

Here’s how he responded:

Hipolito Novelo - LOVE News
"Sir, are you concerned - I spoke with Greg Ch'oc a few weeks ago. He says they're going to do anything to stop the operations, probably even go out there, boycott, block the road, or something. Are you concerned of that?"

Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney for US Capital Energy
"No, I'm not concerned about Greg Ch'oc at all. We have a permit in place to conduct operations where we have been given a production sharing agreement to do so. We are within the law. If he wants to break the law, that's his prerogative.

Hipolito Novelo
"He doesn't believe that the company is within the law."

Michael Peyrefitte
"Well, we have a judgement that says that the permit is legal. We have a judgement where the judge asked herself the question, 'Should I strike down the permits granted to US Capital?' And she said in no uncertain terms, she would not strike them down. We have a permit from the Government saying that the deadline has been waived. I don't expect him to say that we are within the law. I don't expect Greg Ch'oc or SATIIM to say anything good about US Capital, but that doesn't make him correct."