By Jose Sanchez
BELIZE CITY (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate arrive in Belize on Saturday for a week-long trip to the Caribbean that was marred by local protest before it even began, amid growing scrutiny of the Empire’s colonial ties. British with the region.
The arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge coincides with the celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s 70th anniversary on the throne and comes nearly four months after Barbados became a republic, severing ties with the monarchy but remaining part of the Commonwealth of Nations, which is led by the British.
The Queen’s grandson and his wife will spend the first three days in Belize, formerly British Honduras. But on the eve of his departure, the event planned for Sunday was canceled when a few dozen villagers protested.
Residents of Indian Creek, an indigenous Mayan village in southern Belize, told Reuters they were upset that the royal couple’s helicopter was given permission to land at a local football field without prior consultation.
The village is in a land dispute with Fauna & Flora International (FFI), a conservation group backed by the royal family, generating discontent with colonial-era territorial settlements still contested by indigenous groups.
Instead, a visit to a different location is being planned, the government of Belize said. In a statement, Kensington Palace confirmed that the schedule will be changed because of “sensitive issues” involving the Indian Creek community and said more details will be provided in due course.
In a statement, the FFI said it acquired land on nearby Boden Creek from private owners in December 2021 and that it will conserve and protect the area’s wildlife, supporting the livelihoods and traditional rights of the local people.
Without directly addressing the dispute, the FFI said it purchased the land to benefit the ecological integrity of the area, the resident communities and Belize as a whole, and pledged to maintain an “open and ongoing dialogue” with the local community.
After Belize, the Duke and Duchess will head to Jamaica and the Bahamas. Meetings and a variety of events with politicians and civic leaders are scheduled during this period.
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