Victory for indigenous rights in Belize!
We just heard from our colleagues at the Maya Leaders Alliance of Southern Belize (MLA) that a Supreme Court decision regarding their land rights – for which they have been waiting for over two years – was issued yesterday, Monday June 28, 2010.The decision upholds Maya land rights, and was seen as a tremendous victory for the Maya people of Belize.
The Maya of Belize have been fighting for their land rights for a long time, with some precedent-setting victories along the way.In 2007, the Supreme Court of Belize found that the Maya people living in the villages of Conejo and Santa Cruz hold rights to the lands and resources they use and occupy. The Court found this was consistent with the constitutional rights afforded to the citizens of Belize and Belize’s obligations under international law, and ordered the Government to respect the areas occupied and used by the Maya people of Santa Cruz and Conejo. A new case went to the Court in 2008, seeking to guarantee these same rights to the remaining 36 Maya villages in Southern Belize. This was particularly urgent given the government has been granting concessions in these same areas to outsiders.
The June 28 decision upholds the 2007 decision, and should pave the way for recognition of Maya land rights throughout Belize.Check back here for more information and photos as we receive them!
The MLA is an alliance of Maya organizations in Southern Belize, and has played a critical role in uniting communities around their land rights.The RF-US has supported the MLA for the past three years in their efforts to have their lands and resources recognized.
If you would like to support the MLA as they work to make sure the court decision is upheld and
implemented,please click here (indicate you want to support the Maya), or email Christine Halvorson, Program Director of the RF-US. Your contribution will go directly to the MLA.
Images: Annabelle Nilsson Rainforest Foundation US