7 News Belize

Las Flores Fight Leads to Compromise
posted (September 4, 2017)
And for our last news item tonight, we go to Belmopan. That's where the parents and administration of St. Michael Roman Primary School in LAs Flores say the City Council has taken away their school's land and allowed a private interest to purchase it. Now, the school never owned the land, but it has been tending it for many years. They say they wanted to acquire it, but, too late, it ended up in private hands. The parents held a brief protest this morning - and here's the position they put forward to PLUS TV:...

Protestor
"From last night we decided that we will stage this, but unfortunately we can't get out there because of the permit. Now, this is your place, you all came to drop your children and you just supposed to know what was taking place. Yes, we really don't want our land to be taken away. The school has been in what we called "dialogue" with our city officials and they seem not to be approaching us in the right way."

Protestor
"This land has been taken care of by the community of Las Flores for 32 years. It has been chopped, cleaned and all the purpose of the parents has been is to have a place for the students to call school."

Tanya Santos, PUP Mayoral Candidate - Belmopan
"I am fully in support of the community of Las Flores, of the administration in the school, the students, the parents, because what's happening is unfair and unjust. We have a school and a community that is growing. The school in the past has applied for the land in question and was denied and low and behold it's sold for $50,000. I'm not here to make any political statement, just in support of the community of the school in the fight for this cause."

This evening, the Belmopan City Council put out a statement saying that the Mayor Khalid Belisle met with Father Jordan Gongora of the Belmopan Catholic Mission and made proposals to resolve the problem. The mayor proposed to grant two parcels of land to the diocese for expansion. The mayor also proposed to seek a grant for the current parcel of land the school is on - for which it does not have title, and to assist with landscaping for the school.

According to the mayor's office, quote, "an amicable and mutually beneficial solution" has been reached.





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