Guinea Grass Dreams Shattered at El Pozito

A piece of Belize’s Maya history has been destroyed, and authorities want to know who is responsible. The damage happened at El Pozito, an important archaeological site just outside Guinea Grass Village. Residents had hoped the site could create new economic opportunities for the community, but that optimism has now turned to shock and disappointment. News Five’s Shane Williams travelled north today and has the story.

 

Shane Williams, Reporting

For conservationists, preserving El Pozito is not only about protecting the past. It could also open new economic doors for Guinea Grass. The Maya site lies just minutes from the village center; in a community Chairman Benito Uk describes as largely dependent on farming.

 

Benito Uk, Chairman, Guinea Grass Village

“Just Monday then Mr. Ramos and the team, I think they find out what happened in that Pozito area. We have different farmers, cane farmers  around that area. And also we have close by a farm where the Mennonite I think have purchased that area.”

 

Guinea Grass residents are devastated by the news, especially since Dr. Keith Epicch of College of East Texas and a team from the Institute of Archaeology had only recently consulted with villagers about the benefits of properly preserving the site.

 

Benito Uk

“Last month at the same place, we had a meeting with the team, the IA, the Archeological preparing and planning now what they could, Assist in in the area, in the Pozito, how the village will be benefit from that area once they start to develop. And that was the plan.”

 

Could El Pozito one day create jobs and income for Guinea Grass? Nearby Lamanai shows what is possible when an archaeological site is properly protected and managed. Programme for Belize oversees the reserve, and Executive Director Edilberto Romero says local residents benefit directly.

 

Edilberto Romero, Executive Director, Programme for Belize

“The community has realized that the reserve is benefiting them, not only through scholarship but through other things that we also employ most of our staff from the communities, the work we do, the tourism, the sustainable timber operation. Basically, we inject over a million dollars of funds to the economy, to the communities.”

 

The Northern Maya Association of Belize today issued a release condemning the destruction, saying El Pozito is more than a structure but a living link to ancestors, a classroom for future generations and part of the share inheritance of all Belizeans. Benito Uk says those responsible did not just damage an archaeological site, they robbed the entire community. He is urging residents to help identify them and bring them to justice.

 

Benito Uk

“I don’t know who did that. That is the have the responsibility of police to find out now and investigate what is the -who did that, and it’s sad now for the community because that was the plan with the team. Now, just recently they were here and then that is what occurred in almost a month ago after the what happened.”

 

Shane Williams

“Do you think maybe it could have been an innocent mistake? Someone not know the significance?”

 

Benito Uk

“Not really, because everybody in the community know that’s an arche- archaeological site and nobody, If you see, if– I don’t know if you have visited there. They have all cane field around and nobody… That area is untouchable because they know that is a crown land and that is just specified for the archaeological site of El Pozito.”

 

For years, conservationists pushed to protect El Pozito. But successive governments reportedly handed surrounding land to supporters in Guinea Grass and August Pine Ridge, leaving the site vulnerable to ongoing damage. Shane Williams for News Five.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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