Construction of Caye Caulker Police Station to Resume

After days of mounting pressure from Caye Caulker residents, including protests and a formal petition led by the Village Council, government is reversing course on a controversial proposal that raised fears about the future of the island’s police station. At the center of the backlash was an offer involving the very parcel earmarked for the long-promised police station, which fueled concerns not only that the project could be derailed but the island’s prize property would go into private hands. Tonight, Area Representative for Belize Rural South Andre Perez says those concerns have been heard, the offer is no longer being entertained and construction on the Caye Caulker Police Station will resume at Parcel 815.

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“We are listening to the concerns – what the village of Caye Caulker the community wants. They want the police station to proceed where it is right now on Parcel eight-one-fifteen. So as such, we decide to agree that we’ll move forward and construction will resume. The mobilization again of the contractor will be starting this coming week right now. So just to take that time for the logistic to start but yes it will be starting this coming week. So we’re expecting it to start this coming week.”

 

Shane Williams

“And your message to Caye Caulker residents?”

 

Andre Perez

“I just want to tell them of course, as always, that I respect the wishes as always of the people of Caye Caulker. There was, although it might have seen that we were moving along without consulting it remains clear and I want to make it clear to the community of Caye Caulker that it was just an offer made to us. There was nothing confirmed. There was nothing negotiated. There was no paperwork in place that says this is what it is. There was an offer and then Easter came in and that’s when the contractors took a break. That’s when I said let’s take a pause and look at it further. And I do know that prior to before the Easter time, the Caye Caulker Village Council, namely, I think the Deputy Mayor reached out to me on it on that’s what she heard. And I explained to her exactly what it was being made to us that at no time the property was being sold or had been sold. It was just an offer made. And I made it clear to her. And also that – I recommended to her, actually, I advised her that she should check with the Chairlady who was aware of it more or less what was coming around, but there was nothing concrete. And until now, we just reached to that so it never went further than that.”

 

Caye Caulker Wants Ownership of Parcel Eight-Fifteen

 

While government says construction will resume, the controversy has exposed deep concerns within the Caye Caulker community about transparency and decision-making over public lands. Village Council Chairlady Seleny Villanueva-Pott, who helped lead the charge, says residents remain cautious, arguing that initial statements were unclear, but the community’s unified stand has sent a strong message that Parcel 815 must remain for the people. She says the village is moving forward with its petition and still exploring legal options to ensure ownership of the property is turned over to the village council.

 

Seleny Villanueva-Pott, Chairlady, Caye Caulker Village Council

“I  just got a chance to look at the at the release and for me I feel it’s rather vague. I believe that’s an excellent community spirit that we’ve displayed over the last two weeks. The Caye Caulker community have made it absolutely clear that they will take nothing less but parcel eight-fifteen back. We have launched the petition. We’re still collecting numbers. I believe Councilor Rosado is still working on seeing how he gets a meeting. But we have all intentions to continue the fight. If we need to take legal action, the community has also said that they will back us with the legal action. We are in communication with two different lawyers to see where we are. So we’re hoping that we could make progress. I believe today we got some sort of reassurance that the negotiations have completed. I think that’s what my minister’s release had said so I believe we could say parcel eight-fifteen will be returned to the Caye Caulker  community. I’m hoping I’m not jumping the gun again. But we sincerely hope that it’s given to the Caye Caulker community,  to the Caye Caulker Village Council who are the overseers in the Caye Caulker community.”

 

Chairlady Seleny Villanueva-Pott says the property was private land donated to the Caye Caulker Community so it should be in the village council’s name.

 

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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