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Prime Minister says Maya leaders of Santa Cruz were wrong

By on June 26, 2015
Prime Minister's statement on Santa Cruz issue

Prime Minister’s statement on Santa Cruz issue

Belmopan, Belize.. Friday, June 26, 2015. The ugly incident in Santa Cruz village in the Toledo district this past Saturday in which Rupert Myles was handcuffed, tied up and an attempt was made to evict him from his home in the village has dominated the national conversation this week.

And seven days after the images emerged and went viral on social media, Prime Minister Dean Barrow this morning punctuated his earlier statement that the actions of the villagers of Santa Cruz was contrary to the laws of Belize.

The villagers of Santa Cruz are claiming that Mr. Myles is illegally occupying land in the village and that he did not get permission to take up residence in the village.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow made a statement this morning in House of Representatives about the incident.

He told parliament and the nation that while government accepts the Consent Judgment of the Caribbean Court of Justice in the Maya Land Rights case, that the judgment did not supersede the Constitution and laws of Belize.

Regarding the specifics of what transpired on Saturday, June 20 in Santa Cruz village, the Prime Minister said that under the laws of Belize, any person wishing to enforce land rights and remove persons wrongfully occupying land must obtain an eviction order from the courts. That being done, then, the Prime Minister said, it is only under a Court Order that the bailiffs, marshals and agents of the courts, including the police may use reasonable force to carry out that Court Order.

A group of thirteen villagers of Santa Cruz, including the second Alcalde and the Chairman were arrested and charged earlier this week for the illegal detention of Rupert Myles. Their case goes back before the Punta Gorda Magistrate’s Court at the end of July.

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