I would like to open this year by thanking all our brothers and sisters who have stood with us as we defend the human rights and dignity of all Belizeans. We continue to seek your support and confidence in a just and fair trial for the Maya in the…[Read More]

Reparations for entire groups of people are usually called for because of wrongs committed in the past – often the distant past. Practically as a matter of definition, indigenous peoples are groups that have suffered historical wrongs; but also …[Read More]

From colonial times the relationship between the government of Belize and its Mayan citizens has been an uneasy one. Today the administration of Prime Minister Said Musa took a step, which at least begins to resolve the matter and looks for solution…[Read More]

Negotiations have been taking place for years, and their case has been taken up by the O.A.S. ...but so far representatives of Toledo's Maya residents are not satisfied with the progress being made. This evening Greg Ch'oc of the Maya Leaders Allian…[Read More]

Residents of two Toledo villages will file a suit in the Supreme Court tomorrow, claiming that the Government of Belize has failed to protect traditional Maya land rights. A press release from the Maya Leaders Alliance says the residents seek to have…[Read More]

Leaders of Toledo's Maya population continue to press their claims for a larger say in their future. For the second time this month a delegation visited the city, this time meeting for a roundtable discussion with the press. News Five's Janelle Chano…[Read More]

"There is no political will by the Government to address land tenure and security of the Mayan communities." That was the testimony of Greg Ch'oc this afternoon as the lawsuit filed by the villagers of Conejo and Santa Cruz against the Government of …[Read More]

And while Narda Garcia was in the court of appeals - the Maya of Conejo and Santa Cruz were in the Chief Justice's court. Three bus loads of Mayas came from those villages t…[Read More]

The case of the Toledo Maya claim against the Government of Belize for communal land rights continued this afternoon in the Supreme Court. At the start of the sitting, attorney for villagers from Conejo and Santa Clara referred to correspondence betw…[Read More]

The second day of the landmark constitutional case between the Mayas of two Toledo villages and the Government of Belize was recessed this afternoon at 4:00 pm. After hearin…[Read More]

Late this afternoon, the case of the Mayan villagers suing the Government of Belize for communal land rights adjourned after their attorney, Antoinette Moore, made her final submissions to the Chief Justice. At nine tomorrow morning, counsel for the…[Read More]

It's a constitutional case that has the potential to set important precedents both here and internationally. Today the attorneys on both sides in the Maya land issue concluded their arguments and left their fate in the hands of Chief Justice Abdulai…[Read More]

As Janelle noted in her story, the government's attorney, Nicola Cho, declined to speak to the press. Belmopan's position, however, has been explained numerous times, most recently by Prime Minister Said Musa in an interview with News Five in April.…[Read More]

Closing arguments were heard today in the case of the Villagers of Conejo and Santa Cruz against the government of Belize. In her closing this morning, government's attor…[Read More]

Last week Thursday Chief Justice Dr. Abdulai Conteh delivered a landmark decision which stated that the Maya of Conejo and Santa Cruz have communal land rights to their tradi…[Read More]

The Maya Leaders Alliance of Southern Belize has chosen a team to negotiate with government over the implementation of the recent Supreme Court ruling affirming Maya land rights. According to a release from the organisation, on Sunday Alcaldes and Vi…[Read More]

The other hot button topic at the conference was the releases sent out by the Toledo Cacao Grower’s Association. According to the T.C.G.A., the Maya Leaders Alliance and Toledo Alcalde Association had not fully consulted with the villagers before act…[Read More]

In October of 2007 the Mayas of southern Belize won a historic victory in the Supreme Court, declaring that traditional lands in two villages were their rightful property. Since t…[Read More]

Not because we don’t believe their cause is just; and not because we think that every ethnic group in the nation of Belize has its gripes and its concerns that should be addressed with fairness and consideration for all; and surely not because some hi…[Read More]

Another hot button issue for the Mayas is the controversial land rights case against G.O.B., which has remained in the news for some time. And although the long running claim has been on the back burner since the last court session in February, the i…[Read More]