Please consider signing this petition. The government of Belize is ignoring Belize Supreme Court precedent that confirms that this land is the homeland of Maya communities.
Maya
Update on the Maya’s Struggle Against Unauthorized Drilling on Their Lands in Belize
US Capital Energy obtains drilling permit on Maya land in Belize without Maya consent and then bribes key Maya leader
This issue came to my attention because Hamline Law had invited Cristina Coc, a Maya leader on land rights issues, to speak last week, but Ms. Coc had to cancel at the last moment when US Capital Energy obtained a permit from the Belize government without the Maya people’s consent and then bribed a Maya leader to voice his support for their actions. The Maya Leaders Alliance is still fighting the attempt by US Capital Energy, which continues it attempts to literally silence any opposition.
A news article is here, and additional information, including a request for financial help from Ms. Coc, is here:
scan coc
and here:
Govt and US Capital Energy Disrespects Maya Leadership[1]
If you want to contact someone in the U.S. who is familiar with the situation, you can contact Mark Brown of BRIDGEs, a new U.S. non-profit that had planned to bring Ms. Coc to Minnesota.
Inter-American Commission Hears Concerns over Indigenous Property Rights in Guatemala
WASHINGTON, D.C. At Mondays hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, representatives from the Indian Law Resource Center, Defensoria Qeqchi, and Maya communities told commissioners that establishing environmental protection areas in Guatemala without indigenous involvement violates human rights and environmental norms.
Plans to create the Sierra Santa Cruz protected area raised concerns that indigenous lands would be managed and controlled by a private institution on behalf of the Guatemalan government. The proposed project is one of many that seek to gain control of the land and resources which indigenous peoples have traditionally used and occupied in Guatemala.
At the hearing, Leonardo Crippa and William David, attorneys for the Indian Law Resource Center, were joined by four representatives of the Defensoría Qeqchi Arnoldo Yat Coc, Maria Santos Ax Tiul, Carlos Antonio Pop Ac, Alfredo Cacao Ical and an indigenous leader, Elias Israel Pop Cucul, who represents 43 indigenous communities affected by the proposed protected area.
Turtle Talk 