San Marcos Residents: “We Will Not Be Displaced”

Placards reading “Our silence is over” and “These lands feed our children” were raised in San Marcos Village, Toledo, on Saturday. Maya residents marched to the edge of land they say forms part of their communal territory and is being cleared without their consent.

Men, women and children walked together during a livestreamed demonstration near the disputed area.

Residents say heavy machinery has bulldozed sections of forest they have long used for farming, housing materials and livelihood, despite efforts to seek dialogue.

“We are not taking over somebody’s farm. We are defending our lands,” one resident told the crowd. He added, “The CCJ has affirmed our rights as Maya people.”

The growing tension unfolds months after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) concluded its supervisory role over the 2015 Consent Order, which recognised Maya customary land rights in Belize. Although the court cited progress, several Maya leaders have questioned the pace and depth of implementation.

In a joint statement issued after the walk, the San Marcos Village Council and Alcalde said any clearing within their communal lands violates constitutional protections affirmed in Maya Leaders Alliance v Attorney General of Belize. They called on authorities to halt further destruction and uphold the law.

Meanwhile on Friday, Minister of Indigenous Affairs Dr Louis Zabaneh said the government has been engaging with both Maya communities and affected private landowners to understand the concerns. Zabaneh said a Cabinet subcommittee made up of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Attorney General’s Ministry, Indigenous Affairs, Environment and National Security is reviewing those issues, and a formal response will be provided in due course.

Now, a group of private landowners in Toledo has raised its own concerns and is questioning how the proposed Maya land tenure bill could affect their legal titles, access to their properties and long-term security over land they lawfully own.