Maya Centre Villagers Protest Over Land Distribution

Residents of Maya Centre Village staged a protest over land distribution, accusing both their chairman, Francisco Pop, and area representative, Rodwell Ferguson, of failing to address their concerns. Villagers say they have been waiting for years without progress and are demanding immediate government intervention.

Ferguson acknowledged the long-standing issue and said that efforts have been made to resolve the matter. “When I assumed office in 2020, I told the present chairman I want to pursue this document for you for the village of Maya Centre, and he agreed along with the village council. I made several trips to Belmopan along with the chairman back then, Mr Ernesto Saqui, to try to rectify the problems. I got legal advice from the Minister of Natural Resources. I told them exactly what we need to do, so today, as I speak, we have reached the point where Mr Grams advised us that the survey needs to be completed and the plan needs to be authenticated,” Ferguson explained.

But protesters argue that their fight is not about past land allocations but about villagers who still have no lots of their own. Concerned resident Antonio Bolon said, “He is saying a different story from what we are standing for. The lot he had mentioned in 2007 – people buy that; it has an owner; we don’t worry about that. The people who are fighting haven’t had any lot yet, so we need expansion, and that is the answer we want.”

Bolon added that villagers are calling for the government to acquire land from TexBel for distribution. “If the government comes 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 about whatever purchase there was by the people of Maya Centre. That is not the issue. The issue is that we want him to come with a new expansion,” he said.

The group have announced a three-day stand-down, warning that if there is no response by Wednesday, they will resume their protest.