Maya Center Residents Demand Land Expansion

Tensions are rising in Maya Center Village, where frustration over land access has reached a boiling point. Over the weekend, residents took to the streets in protest, demanding answers from village chairman Francisco Pop and Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson, leaders they say have been silent for far too long. According to community spokesperson Antonio Bolon, this isn’t about past land deals, it’s about families still waiting for a place to call their own. The villagers want clarity and are asking when will land from TexBel be made available, and who will benefit. He explained that TexBel Farm has been marked for sale and villagers want the government to step in and purchase at least fifty to one hundred acres to create a new expansion. For now, they’ve agreed to a three-day stand down, but they’re warning, if there’s no response by Wednesday, the protests will be back.

 

On The Phone: Antonio Bolon, Maya Centre, Concerned Citizen

“I am one of the concerned citizens for Maya Centre Village, I am along with the people of Maya Centre, we are trying to get the attention of the government the point that we are trying to tell the government is that we need a new expansion we have more than fifty or eighty people that don’t have any house lot. I was hearing Minister Rodwell on Love Fm morning show this morning he is saying different story to what we are standing for. The lot he had mentioned in 2007, people buy that, they have an owner we don’t worry about that. The people who is fighting they haven’t had any lot yet so we need expansion and that is the answer we want after this if the government come with a plan today, they are already having a meeting with the minister Cordel Hyde. We want him to say ok we are willing to buy fifty acres from TexBel we don’t want to hear anything in 2007 that whatever purchase there by the people of Maya Centre that is not the issue the issue is that we want him to come with a new expansion.”