Royals Will Visit Central, Southern & Western Belize
Unofficial reports coming out of the UK suggest that because of today's protest that event may be scrubbed from the royals' itinerary. But, all official reports say that it is still on a light agenda of touring that will take the Royals to central, southern and western Belize - in the just under 72 hours that they will be traveling across the country. Cherisse Halsall has a rundown of the itinerary:
William and Kate arrive at the PGIA tomorrow at 3:00 pm - a place familiar to both his grandmother Queen Elizabeth who landed there in 1985 and 1994 and his brother Prince Harry who arrived in 2012.
And while the Queen was whisked off in an open vehicle through the city streets in 1985 - that's likely not to be the case for Prince William - the global security realities have changed - and no motorcade has been announced.
But we do know his next stop on Saturday will be the Laing Building where he will meet with the Prime Minister one hour after landing.
From there, the Duke and Duchess will spend their evening at an unannounced location. And then on Sunday the schedule says they will fly by Helicopter to Indian creek Village to visit a cacao farm. But, late information suggests that because of the protests today - where the Maya residents have made it clear that they don't want the Prince to land in their village - that may have been scratched form their schedule.
It's no worry for the Royals who will then jet directly to Hopkins Village at 12:30 for what is called a Garifuna festival, where, quote, "Their Royal Highnesses will spend time with Garifuna people and witness a demonstration of Garifuna culture." Prince Harry famously didd his cultural thing when he was in Belize ten years ago.
After that, again, they will spend the rest of the day in an undisclosed location and emerge on Monday - again by helicopter for an 11:30 appearance at Caracol. For a visit to Belize's most spectacular Mayan site, and "take in Caana, the 'sky palace'" - still the tallest manmade structure in Belize.
After that, things will take a familiar turn for Prince William who will visit BATSUB's base in Chiquibul - were he did military training two decades ago.
From the sweltering forest to a Tony reception, the royal couple's last engagement in Belize is a formal reception at the Cahal Pech Mayan site.
They leave at 10:45 the next morning - headed for Jamaica.
Again, there is no official confirmation that the planned trip to a cacao farm near Indian Creek has been scrubbed from the itinerary.
Again, there is no official confirmation that the planned trip to a cacao farm near Indian Creek has been scrubbed from the itinerary.
The visit is to Belize, Jamaica and Bahamas in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee - celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 75 year's on the drone - and 75 years as her title states - "The Queen of Belize".
But, many see the visit as a kind of royal PR - or a charm offensive, as it is called - an attempt to persuade other Caribbean nations not to follow the example of Barbados - which recently removed the Queen as its head of state.
No HRH For Indian Creek
Last night we told you about the emergency community meeting that the villagers of Indian Creek, Toledo called after they learned that Prince William and Duchess Kate plan to visit their village. Preparations were being made for the royal helicopter to land on the village football field. From there the royal couple plan to go and visit the "Akte 'il Ha" cacao farm and meet the family who laid out the farm after Hurricane Iris in 2001.
It's the moment that's been designed as the most on-brand moment in the royal couple's Belizean itinerary, a look at conservation efforts under the supervision of an Earthshot prize winner, one in which Prince William is a patron. It's known as FFI and partners with the Ya'axhè Conservation Trust. And that's the problem - FFI is the owner of 12 thousand across of land adjacent to Indian Creek - and the ownership of that property is contested. FFI has full title for it, but the villagers say that - at least a part of it - falls within their village's communal lands.
That's a matter of ripe dispute - and that's why the villagers protested this morning to say they don't want the Prince on their communal property - especially not without their consent to his visit. Cherisse Halsall was there:
This is the football field where the Duke and Duchess's chartered helicopter is set to land on Sunday. But not if the villagers of Indian Creek have anything to say about it.
They feel disrespected because they weren't consulted about the trip and feel that if Prince William wants to visit, he should land somewhere else.
Sebastian Shol, Chairman, Indian Creek Village
"We don't want them to land in our land, that's the message that we want to send, they could land anywhere but not in our land."
But why stage a protest against a prince two full days before his arrival?
Well the villagers say they've been threatened by the authorities.
Dionisio Shol, Youth Leader
"The state has informed the village that anybody who disrupts this activity will be arrested."
And just like that, the supposed freedom of speech that these villagers should be entitled to has been stifled by protocol. We spoke to one villager who explained why William and Kate shouldn't walk into the Indian Creek FFI dispute without having all the facts.
Paula Chac, Villager
"It looks like the man will just come and he will just push himself in our land in our village without knowing nothing, so that's why this is our land we need our land and we are not knowing if he is the one to buy this land. Our land is for us and we need land for our children and we use that land to plant corn beans and all the ground food."
And to add insult to injury village chairman Sebastain Shol says that he only found out about the visit of FFi's esteemed patron when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that he clean the village football field.
Sebastian Shol, Chairman, Indian Creek Village
"A woman from the ministry called me day before yesterday, she is apologizing telling me that yes it is a Duke that will be coming it's a prince so sorry that we didn't tell you ahead of time so it's my apology. So, just yesterday or day before she tried to invite me to this occasion."
"I feel disrespected because they didn't give us the information, not even the Alcade so they just told us to clean the area but how can we start to clean the area if we dont know anything."
And if that's the case is the village's gripe really with the Duke?
P:rotestor
"Who has the mistake is the organizer, who is the organizer is Ya' xache."
Dionisio Shol, Youth Leader
"Imagine you going to Kenisington palace, you can't just show up there you have to dialogue and see if you even can go so reverse it in our role, reverse it in our role and say why would the state be aiding, it's like the state is aiding these colonial masters by doing that to us."
And that's the crux of the matter: the colonialism or at least neo-colonialism at the heart of a generational patronage that has just so happened to invest in land considered indigenous communal land.
Dionisio Shol, Youth Leader
"Him giving money to FFI is something that we will not stand for."
"For someone like him to say well i'm here promoting conservation, you could actually come talk to the maya people, most historians and scientific evidence has shown that maya people have already done some of this work that they are putting big names to it, so for him to say well I want to save Indian Creek well obviously it's not happening."
"We are still, Indian Creek is still suffering from the colonial legacy which simply means for us Prince William being a patron to FFI is from the colonial era."
Royals Forced to Cancel Cacao Tour
Earlier in the news, we told you about Indian Creek's protest against the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's planned to visit that was all set for Sunday.
As we told you the chairman and many others became angered at the fact that Prince William, the patron of an organization with whom they've had a long-standing dispute, was planning to land a helicopter on their village's football field without even the courtesy of asking their consent.
Well, tonight we can tell you that the voices of the villagers have been heard loud and clear by Kensignton palace, and that visit, planned to be a trip to a sustainable cocoa farm in line with the Duke's overarching interests in conservation, has been scrapped. So, now, the only event on the schedule for Sunday is the Garifuna Festival in Hopkins.
Channel 7
Prime Minister Excited to Welcome Royal Couple
We also heard from Prime Minister John Briceņo on the royal visit. As the Government of Belize prepares to welcome our special guests, the PM says their Royal Highnesses chose to have a unique cultural experience in Belize as their first stop on this royal tour.
Prime Minister John Briceņo
"It is quite exciting for everybody that his Royal Highness and his wife chose to start their tour here in Belize. They are quite excited about having a first look and close look to Belize, not only to our natural wonders, but to our seas, and going into the communities themselves and to have probably a close understanding as to the dynamics of Belize as to how is it that we are so unique, so small, but so diverse."
AmbergrisCaye.com 
