William and Kate cancel Belize Village trip due to protests | Property

Protests by local residents forced the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to cancel a trip to Blaise Village that was due to start Caribbean A tour after the people protested it.

Opposition to the royal flight stemmed from a dispute between Toledo-area residents and Flora and Fauna International (FFI), a conservation charity. Prince William He is patron.

He and Kate were expected to visit the Achtel Ha cocoa farm in Indian Creek on the first full day of their witch assault in the area, but their office called off the engagement on Friday.

It comes as they tour Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas which is seen as an attempt to garner support for the monarchy and Persuading other countries not to follow Barbados By choosing to become a republic.

The Belize The location of William and Kate’s helicopter landing – a local football stadium – has caused further problems with residents, who claim they have not been consulted about it.

The local radio, Channel Seven, described the tensions between citizens and the state as “the meaning of consent in the context of collective land rights, rights to lands written off by the British in the colonial period”.

Indian Creek Village Chief Sebastian Schull told the Daily Mail: “We don’t want them to land on our land, that’s the message we want to send.

“They can land anywhere, but not on our land.”

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “We can confirm that due to sensitive issues relating to the community at Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location. More details will be provided in due course.”

In a statement, the Belize government said: “Indian Creek was one of several sites being considered. Due to problems in the village, the Belize government has activated its contingency planning and another venue has been selected to showcase Maya’s family entrepreneurship in the cocoa industry.”

In a statement, FFI said it had purchased land in nearby Boden Creek from private owners in December 2021, and that it would conserve and protect the area’s wildlife while supporting the traditional livelihoods and rights of local residents.

Without directly addressing the dispute, FFI said it had purchased the land in the interest of the environmental integrity of the area, resident communities and Belize as a whole, and pledged to maintain an “open and ongoing dialogue” with the local community.

The couple are scheduled to land in Belize on Saturday afternoon aboard the Voyager ministerial plane. The country’s Governor-General, Fruela Tsalam, will welcome the couple – along with their 15-person entourage, including a hairstylist, private secretary and press team – before they head to Belize City to meet Prime Minister Johnny Briceño.

Windrush activists and Caribbean experts have criticized the tourHe said the UK should actively help countries cut ties with the monarchy rather than persuading them to stay.

“Britain still has basic legal and economic ties, which makes it difficult for a country like Jamaica to be truly independent,” said author and Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon.

This year is an opportunity for people to think: Do we want to be a republic, and what does that mean? If Jamaica decides it does, there will be a domino effect on the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean.”