Belize Maya Leaders Oppose Government's Five‑Acre Land Proposal

Maya Leaders Alliance spokesperson Cristina Coc warned that Belize's plan to limit Maya customary land to five acres per person would jeopardise cacao farms in Toledo, the region the government promotes as the country's chocolate capital. Coc said the proposal contradicts the needs of Maya communities that own larger farms and called the government's approach "bad faith."

At the same time, the Caribbean Court of Justice dismissed a request from the Toledo Alcalde Association and the Maya Leaders Alliance for further clarification of the 2015 Consent Order on Maya land rights. Justice Winston Anderson said the court would not intervene further, urging the Maya representatives and the Belize government to continue the implementation process and noting that direct judicial supervision is no longer required.