Email

Print

Last night on the news you heard Lake Independence squatter Bernarda Riviera call out her area representative Mark King trying to move her group of 12 families off land – just so that he could give it to his supporters. Today, King told 7News that he can't give any land in that area because the final map is just being made – but when he does give land it won't be to Bernard Riviera and her squatters collective:…

Hon. Mark King - Area Representative, Lake I

"Made allegations that I want to give these land to my cronies. Boss, lot of those people who work with me in Lake I live in Lake I for years. They are living in their ma and pa backyard. We have single parents who are living in their ma and pa backyard so long that apply for a piece of land. Sometimes you have 3, 4 house like conchshell bay, crack up in the back of a little ghetto yard - and you will tell me that because you the wait, you just come and squat on this land. No man, I think our Lake I people who are living back long time and done have their application in, went through the right process. Boss I really see good and evil here and I think I am operating on the good side. This girl Cardova, I cast her as a PUP operative. She's been seen with Cordel Hyde several times. I insist that she's endangering the community by putting fear into the community simply because I haven't issued any eviction order as yet. I also think that this a staged political operation because I have said nothing to nobody in terms of issuing out any land in this area as yet for the same reason. Going back to the map, I don't have the presently authenticated map. I will some what say again, that I will have to be kind to these people, I will have to address the human right because they are naturalise Belizeans, some of them. But, you see Jules these people are taking me to court, these people say I lied on the media. These people are misdirecting the public in everything right now. You know what is stopping me - people are texting me to send the immigration, half of them you know aren't Belizean. So send in immigration, to send in the GSU, the powers that is mighty invested in me as a minister. Boy, I could go out there like Dracula but I'm saying no, no way. Some of these people are naturalise Belizeans - a few of them and I will treat them kindly, I will treat them fairly but they will come to the government and make demands."

"How about all the Belizeans in Lake I, that done applied for land at my office and the land department that are waiting for years, can't get a piece of land. What gives them the right for me to give them this land over my people? My natural born Belizean that have applied for land for years. No country you can go, you can't even build a little shack in Chetumal, you can't park the bus much less take a piece of their land. Boss they will lock you up, they will send you back to your country, they will charge you and we are not doing that. Even when I move these people, just like the cotton tree people - they'll be given a better piece of land. They are in swamp right now, they are in mosquitos, they are in mud. These people are stealing water, these people are stealing light. These people have a condition back there where anybody could get hurt at anytime. All Belizeans in this country are paying for water and light. We can't condone this, the entire situation is absolutely illegal, absolutely illegal. And if I condone it and if I go down in politics for this move then that will be it, I am willing to do that - because I feel I stood up for my people in Lake I and they will get these lands when they become available."

"My people in Lake I" – but does that mean UDP first, Belizeans second and PUP's last? You'll hear the answer to that in tomorrow's newscast when we air part two of our interview with King – when we'll ask him about the leases he recommended for his former driver, his secretary and his committee member.