Police Engage as Indian Creek Dispute Escalates

As tensions spill beyond disagreement and into confrontations on the ground, government officials are now stepping in. Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Dr. Louis Zabaneh says police remain actively engaged as reports emerge of property damage and rising unrest tied to the dispute. While the community remains sharply divided over land rights and leadership, Zabaneh is urging residents to honor past commitments to move forward peacefully, warning that a conflict years in the making must not spiral into harm or retaliation.

 

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs

“Of course, we’ve been in touch with the police from the very beginning. They ere on the ground last night. We heard that members supporting the alcalde had gone to the property of the chairman of the village council and that the field station for the Ya’axche was also, if you will, tampered with by members of the community. So, we’re very concerned about the situation and I definitely appeal to all members of that community to carry on in the way from at least the last meeting I had with them a few months ago. Minister Requena just had a meeting with them like two weeks ago, in which they committed to move forward peacefully, even though they have differences in views. That village seems to be down the line, half supporting the alcalde, with Maya land rights and traditional ways of land tenure, and then the other half supporting the village council, where they want to have titles like everybody else does around the country. And this is not something that just started a few weeks ago. It’s been years that they’ve had this kind of confrontation, and we’ve met with them pleading, saying there is a process that we have in place to address the CCJ consent order.”

 

Confusion Grows over Indian Creek Land Issuance

 

As questions grow over the authority to issue land certificates, concerns are now extending beyond Indian Creek’s internal divide. The Ya’axché Conservation Trust says its review shows far more certificates were issued than initially reported, moves that clash with an unresolved national process to formalize Maya land rights. Executive Director Christina Garcia warns the lack of agreed‑upon guidelines has fueled confusion and frustration across communities and private landholders, but says dialogue remains the path forward as all sides search for a lasting solution.

 

Christina Garcia, Executive Director, Ya’axché Conservation Trust

“We have managed to get information from the community and we are now told that that is two hundred and eighty land certificates that were issued to community members of Indian Creek. Now, that brings about a very strong contention because I know that at the moment, the appellants in this case are the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Government of Belize have been working on a particular Maya Land Tenure Policy and the Maya Land Tenue Bill. And those two documents clearly describe a process of recognition and registration of Maya lands and, as far as I am concerned, that process has not been fully agreed by government, nor the appellants, yet. But yet, we have a situation where leadership, in particular, the alcalde, that has taken up the role of the issuance of these certificates. As mentioned in our press release, we are happy to retake discussions with the Indian Creek leaders, the community, and of course, the government jointly to find a way forward. We believe that solutions can be identified that will benefit all parties. Of course, this should be guided by discussions aligned to the Maya Land Tenure Policy and, of course, the legislation. We can agree that the lack of process and guidance in this case has caused tremendous frustration, not only at the community level, but also with the private land holders, the lease landholders. This has cause so much confusion.”

 

Meanwhile, the Toledo Private and Lease Landowners Limited is calling on the government to urgently deploy security forces to Indian Creek. In a letter to Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Dr. Louis Zabaneh, the group warns of an escalating and volatile situation, reporting mob activity, attacks on homes, and threats against community leaders and the Ya’axché field station as tensions continue to rise following the alcalde’s disappearance.

 

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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