Maya Leaders Demand Inclusion in Forest Talks

Still on the topic of conservation, there’s growing concern in the south. The Maya Leaders Alliance is calling on the government to make sure Indigenous voices are included in decisions about protecting forest lands in the Toledo District. Their message comes on the heels of a major biodiversity agreement signed between Belize, Mexico, and Guatemala. While the trilateral deal is being praised for its regional cooperation, Indigenous communities say they don’t want to be sidelined, or worse, pushed out of the lands they’ve cared for for generations. This morning, we asked Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet about those concerns.

 

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“Everybody has to be included. As a matter of fact, we were careful enough that when we did that tri-partied agreement, that we looked at the areas that would’ve been covered within Belize proper because it couldn’t be just for the majority of the land area  to the conservation area to be just two other countries. Belize had to be included. So we have included, of course, areas in the north, the central corridor, and the south, so that then everybody can be part of the solution.”