Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Caribbean tour hit a snag right out of the gate, after Belizean locals protested the couple’s plans to land a helicopter in their village before touring a cacao farm.
According to The Mirror, which previously reported the news, indigenous residents of Indian Creek village were also upset about the prince’s ties to a conservation charity called Flora and Fauna International, which is controversial among some members of the population.
The couple canceled their visit to the farm.
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William and Kate are commencing a tour to Belize, the Bahamas, and Jamaica, a trip the British press has characterized as an effort to promote the British Crown. Last year the nearby island of Barbados ditched the royals and became a republic.
According to the Belize outlet 7 News, Indian Creek village has been in “open conflict” with FFI, “which owns an adjoining, contested property.”
The publication noted that discontent comes in the “context of ongoing agitation… about the meaning of consent in the context of communal land rights. Those rights to lands were expunged in the colonial period by the British.”
In a statement cited by The Guardian, FFI said it had acquired the contested land from a private party last winter but is committed to “open and continuous dialogue” with locals. According to the newspaper, FFI has further vowed to “conserve and protect the area’s wildlife while supporting the livelihoods and traditional rights of local people.”
The chairman of the village, Sebastian Shol, remained opposed to the royals’ arrival, telling The Daily Mail, “We don’t want them to land on our land, that’s the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not on our land.”
Another village resident was pictured earlier this week holding a sign that read: “Prince William stop helping FFI [take] our land.”
Even without the cacao tour, the royal couple’s Caribbean trip is expected to continue apace. They were slated to arrive over the weekend in Belize, followed by a meeting with the country’s prime minister.
