Caye Caulker Says No to Cannabis, Infrastructural Failings Persist  

The people of Caye Caulker have made their voices heard loud and clear and it’s a resounding no to cannabis legalization on the island. On Wednesday, history was made as Caye Caulker hosted Belize’s very first cannabis referendum. The question was whether the government should support a regulated marijuana industry, but only on the island, to boost revenue and tackle some long-standing infrastructure issues. It was a bold proposal, aimed at turning green into gold for the community. But when the ballots were counted, the answer was anything but hazy. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the idea, handing a decisive win to the anti-legalization campaigners. So now that the plan has gone up in smoke, the question remains: how will Caye Caulker fund the improvements it desperately needs? Roads, drainage, public services, they’re still on the table, but the money to fix them? That’s a puzzle yet to be solved. News Five’s Britney Gordon has a full story from the island.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Cannabis legalization isn’t coming to Belize any time soon. That was what Caye Caulker residents decided at the country’s first ever cannabis referendum on Wednesday. In a landslide victory, the island’s anti-legalization supporters amassed a total of six hundred and seventy-eight votes, far surpassing the one hundred and seventy-six ‘yes’ votes that were counted. The proposal was pitched as a means of bringing money back to the island to fix the many infrastructural failings that residents have observed. But with the idea shot down, what can be done to address them? Caye Caulker Village Councilor, Sergio Marin, says that the island must explore other avenues to move forward.

 

Sergio Marin, Councilor, Caye Councilor

“We made a very strong, bold statement. This island is for us, and despite all the noise in the market, we overcame it. This speaks volume for many of our residents here to everyone outside who comes in and try to take away what is ours. You need to tread carefully, okay? This is for us. We understand that there may be other venues that, might want to come in and try and help us, but this wasn’t the one today. It was a strong statement that marijuana wasn’t the solution for today.”

Caye Caulker turned out in force for Wednesday’s cannabis referendum, with eight hundred and fifty-seven ballots cast, even more than in this year’s general elections. One of the loudest voices in the “Hope not Dope” campaign was Louis Wade Jr. from the National Evangelical Association of Belize. He says the strong turnout shows how much residents care about protecting their island. While he agrees Caye Caulker needs serious upgrades, he insists marijuana isn’t the way to pay for them.

 

Louis Wade Jr., National Evangelical Association of Belize

“The people are very passionate about their village. This is what matters. And I can understand why it has rained several times. It’s rainy season and the first day I came, there was rain for half hour and many of the streets were flooded. And then they have had to cancel classes on several occasions because of flooded streets. And I will have to tell you that these are the largest puddles. That I see. I could remember big puddles when I was a child in PG. And now I come out to the island, and I see these large puddles. So this community needs infrastructure development, but it shouldn’t come from marijuana. It should come from the taxes of the tourism.”

 

So now that the proposal for a taxable and regulated marijuana industry has been soundly shut down, what can be done to improve the island’s infrastructure?  As Caye Caulker remains one of Belize’s most popular destination’s, residents are calling for a new local referendum. This time, demanding that tax generated from tourism be invested back into the island. This is supported by Celina Jimenez-Fuentes, who led the Hope not Dope campaign.

 

Celina Jimenez-Fuentes, Caye Caulker Resident

“It is something we need to ask for because we need to get back some of the taxes that we put towards the generate, towards the tourism industry. And there are many things that we can do to assist this island in that area.”

 

Village councilor Ilya Rosado kicked off the cannabis referendum push, arguing it was the right move for Caye Caulker. Residents have long demanded better roads and drainage, but funding remains a major hurdle, even with Chairlady Seleny Villanueva-Pott’s ties to the ruling party. Some councilors opposed Rosado’s plan, sparking rumors he might resign. He’s not backing down, though, saying there’s still plenty of work to be done, no matter the challenges.

 

Ilya Rosado, Councilor, Caye Caulker

“No I’m not going to resign. That’s me breaking up promise to the people. So that’s not going to happen. I will continue to do my duties and I will continue to try to make Caye Caulker better place because really and truly everyone whether they voted yes or no, they deserve to live better lives. And I still hold by that thought that, again, the second most important tourism destination in the country. We deserve a better standard of living, and I will find other ways to see how we can get that done.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Has there been any talks from the council of these new strategies that you might implement?”

 

Ilya Rosado

“No, I actually haven’t heard anything from them.”

 

Now the pressure is on for the Ministry of Tourism, the Belize Tourism Board, and Area Represent, Andre Perez, to respond to the cries of Caye Caulker. As one of Belize’s most highly trafficked tourism locations, it is the responsibility of the government to use that money for the benefit of the Island and its people. While that was the same objective of the proposed cannabis industry, Area Rep Andre Perez explains that there was never a guarantee that plan would become a reality.

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“We have to see what is going to happen with this elections, how it turns out. If should it turns out the way that it’s a yes. Then of course, government have to make the move. It has to go representation to cabinet. Cabinet has to approve, and it has to go to the National Assembly, and then it has to go to the Senate.”

 

Caye Caulker said no to cannabis, but the island’s problems haven’t gone away. With roads crumbling and drainage issues piling up, can the village council come together to find a new fix? And will the Government and the Belize Tourism Board step up to support one of the country’s top tourist hotspots? Britney Gordon for News Five.