Marin Spearheaded Protest Against Colleague’s Alleged Land Grab

What started as whispers along the shoreline is now turning into a full-blown political flashpoint in the north. Allegations of a land grab in Sarteneja are stirring unease, and Corozal Southeast Area Representative Florencio Marin Junior isn’t brushing them aside. Instead of flatly denying the claims, Marin says he took the concerns seriously, so seriously that he stepped in, backing a public protest with the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development to draw a line against any attempt to quietly scoop up public beachfront land. While some of the suspicion has landed on fellow P.U.P. colleague Ramiro Ramirez, Marin is careful not to play judge and jury. He admits he cannot say for sure that “sea grabbing” isn’t happening, but he is clear on one thing: if private interests are encroaching on what belongs to the public, it won’t go unchallenged. Tonight, he’s speaking out not just to address the allegations, but to signal that Sarteneja’s shoreline, and the community’s trust, is not up for grabs.

 

Florencio Marin Jr., Area Representative, Corozal Southeast

“We have been on top of that. I have been from long before speaking with Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Natural Resources. Alright. And we never allowed any land to be, any documents to be given out to any private owner – public lands I’m referring to. And I believe, as I mentioned yesterday, public lands will remain public lands. I’m the one who spearheaded that cause to, to block any private acquisition of public lands. Of course, we’re always looking for land to give out to the community and all that. If you notice that throughout the country, we do need to provide more lands for people to have their housing and all that stuff. So yeah we have been on the top of it.”

 

Reporter

‘They accused your colleague Ramiro Ramirez in the grabbing of, the grab. Is there sea grabbing? Is there any sea grabbing, taking place? The sea front. What’s your response to this?”

 

Florencio Marin Jr.

“We will not allow any sea grabbing, noh. So whenever it comes to our attention, we will address it. So that saying that we are that it has happened, I can’t tell you for sure that it doesn’t, but what I can tell you is that once we know, we address it.”

 

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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