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Caribbean Life, March 24-30, 2022
Belizean snub tarnishes Royal Caribbean tour
An indigenous group of Belizean Indians
halted a tour of their Mayan farm which Britain’s
Prince William aka the Duke of Cambridge and
his duchess Kate Middleton intended to visit in
celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th jubilee
anniversary reign on the throne.
Plans for the future monarchs and their
15-member entourage were derailed when villagers
denied landing rights on their Maya
Mountain farm.
“We don’t want them on our land, that’s the
message that we want to send. They could land
anywhere but not on our land,” Dionisio Skol,
a youth leader said on the eve of the couple’s
arrival.
It’s “very colonial in nature,” the spokesperson
added.
William, the grandson of the ruling monarch
deplaned in Belmopan to greetings befitting
a king, however, not everyone in the Central
American capital agreed with the red-carpet
rollout.
According to reports, the Mayan rebuke
resulted because the Belizean government did
not consult with villagers before scheduling an
itinerary which included a helicopter stop on
the farm.
As a preemptive protest, Friday, Skol and
like-minded supporters waved banners saying:
“Prince William leave our land,” “Colonial legacy
of theft continues with Prince and FFI” and
other unwelcoming signs of the visit.
Apparently disputes have been smoldering
between the villagers and the Flora and Fauna
International — a charity which strives to protect
ecosystems across the world.
It is believed the decision to land a chopper
on Akte’il Ha cacao, a sustainable farm in the
village of Boden Creek was decided without
consultation.
“We the villagers consider that we have suffered
the legacy of colonialism and we are
directly still being impacted by that,” the Mayan
Mountain villager said.
Following the demonstrations, Kensington
Palace issued a statement saying: “We can
confirm that due to sensitive issues involving
the community in Indian Creek, the visit was
“moved to a different location.”
The Belizean government also issued a statement
that the visit to the farm was scheduled to
“showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the
cacao industry.”
In 2020 Prince William assumed patronage
of the conservation when his grandmother, the
queen relinquished her position after 70 years.
Prior to that his great grandfather George VI
served as a patron
Formerly known as British Honduras, the
only English speaking nation in Central America
is also home to the Garifuna nation, a community
of nationals whose heritage can be traced
from Africa to St. Vincent and later to intermarriages
with indigenous Arawak Indians.
On the second day of the royal visit, representatives
of the Garifuna nation welcomed the
visitors with food and music. A picture-perfect
government release featured William and Kate
socializing with their hosts.
Belize was the first stop of a three-nation
tour to Commonwealth nations heralding the
long reign of the monarch.
Tuesday the couple will head to Jamaica
where increased calls to remove Queen Elizabeth
II as its head of state heightened when
Barbados ceremonially became a republic in
November.
The sovereign queen has visited Jamaica
six times, — 1953, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1994
and 2002.
On the last royal visit there, Prince William’s
younger brother Prince Harry received
a warm reception.
The bachelor prince was seen wearing
the country’s national colors racing against
Olympian Usain Bolt. In a mock race, the athlete
yielded to the prince allowing him to bolt
past the gold medalist to the finish.
Catch You On The Inside!
Britain’s Prince William and Catherine,
Duchess of Cambridge, laugh as they
spend time with the locals during their
visit to Hopkins, a small village on the
coast which is considered to be cultural
centre of the Garifuna community in
Belize, amid a tour of the Caribbean,
March 20, 2022. Chris Jackson/Pool via
REUTERS
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
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