And that was just about the hottest thing coming out of today's House Meeting - which was mostly for legislative housekeeping - mainly the passage of a mutual assistance tax agreement with the European that Belize has to pass before a mid month deadline.
So, most of the news came from the opposition members speaking on the adjournment. Member for Cayo South, Julius Espat raised the issue of the Valley of Peace farmers in his constituency. As we told you, on Wednesday, all 32 of them have received eviction notices from Green Tropics. They are on the land illegally, but their attorney has now sent a letter to Green Tropics stating that they have been there for 30 years - and earned squatters rights at 12 years.
That means it's going to court, and today Espat said the PUP stands against the investor and with the farmers:...
Hon. Julius Espat
"The People's United Party supports foreign direct investments. We in Cayo South do so too and let the House record speaks for itself Mr. Speaker I have stood here in the House in support of the Green Tropics project. But, we cannot support a project at the expense and blatant disrespect to Belizean farmers and to our environment. Mr. Speaker, we have to respect the law and this company in its short period of time in this country has shown a disrespect for our environmental laws as is the creek - the jaguar corridor dredging that they did against the permission of the Ministry of Natural Resources and now it seems that they are disrespecting our Belizean farmers from the Valley of Peace."
"Mr. Speaker, the farmers are fighting a fight similar to David fighting Goliath. Mr. Speaker, these farmers of the Valley of Peace Association combined produce vegetables which supply most of Belize City, Belmopan and in certain extent San Ignacio."
Hon. Gaspar Vega
"Mr. Speaker, as we speak the CEO for agriculture is meeting with both parties on Monday because we are aware that especially the ones that have less have more to lose the more this thing drags on especially if it goes to court and we would like it to settle in an amicable way because we know who it would benefit the most. So we at this time are not in a position to make comments because we do not want to jeopardize anything that is being negotiated."
We'll tell you what comes out of that meeting on Monday.
The farmers - all 32 of them are represented by Andrew Marshalleck of Barrow and Company.
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