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Hon. Montero Explains Bradley Estate Confusion
posted (November 3, 2016)
3 weeks ago, we told you about the land dispute over the landholdings in the Bradley's Bank Estate in Santa Elena town. This is disputed land in the Cayo District acquired from businessman Santiago Mendoza. He was allegedly threatening to bulldoze the houses on the 20 acre property, because Government acquired his land and didn't pay him a dime of compensation.

That immediately put the residents in distress because they say that they got the land from Government, and they've been paying their leases.

So, when we caught up to Area Representative Rene Montero today at another event in Orange Walk, we asked him about it. He said that Government has been trying to compensate Mendoza, but his asking price is too high.:

Hon. Rene Montero
"As far as I am concerned there is no dispute. The government in 2005 acquired that land. Acquired it through publishing it in the gazette and inform the owner who is Mr. Santiago Mendoza. After that we issued it out to the residents of the area which have constructed their homes and we have already put in infrastructure there; roads, electricity and water. So as far as I am concerned there is no dispute. That land belongs to the government of Belize. Government of Belize acquired it, so it is Mr. Mendoza's duty to go to the ministry of works and to try get compensation for it, because it was legally acquired. Governments all over the world universally have the right to acquire land for public purpose and that's what we did."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Compensation should be paid. This man has not been paid."

Hon. Rene Montero
"That is so true. But I really can't answer that question, because I am not the minister of lands and I am not the minister of finance. So I don't know what has been the problem and the way that I understand it is perhaps that he is asking too much for the land. We surveyed those lands. We get 4 lots per acre. We sold it to the people that are constructing for $1,000. So 1 acre actually the government gets back $4,000. My understanding is that he wants an exorbitant price. A price that we can't afford. So that has been the problem. But as far as I am concern legally, that land belongs to the government of Belize."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir, there is a concern that this acquisition for public purpose is such a broad based authority that the government could just come in and just take anybody else land and says, I want this, we are going to acquire it for public purpose. Is there any, as far as you are aware, any guidelines which explains to the government when and when it cannot acquire a piece of land."

Hon. Rene Montero
"Public purpose means that you are going to give it to the community. 2) Its for hospitals and schools. Those are the 3 areas I know that government would unilaterally or by force, whatever you want to say, can acquire land. It's for public purpose. For the use of the community, for the use of Belizeans. It's not one individual that is benefitting from this acquisition."

We also asked him about reports we'd been receiving of persons who magically got pieces of land on the Bradley Bank Estate, but the never applied, and didn't even know that property was in their names. Fingers were being pointed in Montero's direction, and so we put the question directly to him if this was part of some elaborate hustle. Here's what he said:

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"We heard reports of some 60 land division plots which persons say that you personally received from that Bradley Estate and they are supposedly being placed in person's names who don't even know or haven't given their authority for you to do such a thing. Can you address that?"

Hon. Rene Montero
"I have no knowledge of that. I don't know where that came from. I don't own any piece of land there. Every single lot was issued to the residents of the area. All the lands that were issued to the residents of the area, who really deserve a lot and I have a committee of vetted those applications. So I don't know where this is coming from."

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