_{Logs which Boston villagers claim were illegally taken from their village}

Ranking Cabinet ministers asked to explain their intervention

BOSTON VILLAGE, Belize District, Wed. Aug. 13, 2025

Nickoli Alvarado, the People’s United Party chairman of Boston Village along the Old Northern Highway in the Belize District, has expressed shame and anger over the reactions of two ranking Cabinet ministers to his allegations of illegal logging in the village. “The people elect me to be a custodian of my village,” he emphatically declared. Alvarado likewise affirmed, that no matter who is found to be involved in questionable actions, “you have to do the right thing.” 

The village chairman and residents of the village readily attest that illegal logging has been happening in their village for years. Alvarado, however, refused to watch it happen and remain silent. On Thursday, August 7, Alvarado confronted the Mennonite logger who was on the ground leading a massive extraction operation. Alvarado affirmed that the pillaging of their resources will not be allowed to continue unabated under his watch. The accusation is that the licensee, Jacob Wiens, was logging outside of his concession area that was restricted to Lucky Strike Village. According to Alvarado, the loggers knowingly employ the same tactic to reach Salt Creek Estate within their village despite having GPS to guide them.

_{Nickoli Alvarado – Chairman, Boston Village}

He recounted that when they got on site, they met the Mennonite logger and his workers; and he, Alvarado, called in the police to put a stop to the illegal logging operation. Three police officers responded and ordered the logger to cease and desist; but then, the Mennonite got on the phone and first spoke in German. Thereafter, he handed the phone to the police, and on the line was none other than Minister Jose Mai. It so happens that the licensee is a constituent of Mai’s Orange Walk South division. Then came an unexpected turn: Mai was attending an event with the Minister who oversees the police, Hon. Kareem Musa, and passed the phone to him, allowing Musa to speak directly with the officers on the ground. According to Alvarado, Musa told the officer to stand down, saying that he would deal with the matter. Not about to let his efforts fall by the wayside, Alvarado asked to speak with Musa, and says he apprised him of the illegality of the operation that was taking place, then sternly advised that he (Minister Musa) had no right to stop the officers from doing their job.

Musa subsequently told the media that he did not ask the officer to stand down, and merely indicated that it is a matter to be dealt with by the Forestry Department.   

After seeing the way things were unfolding, Alvarado brought in the media the following morning. The police had returned to the site, and this time, Forestry Department officials were also present. We say “this time,” because another concerned villager reported calling the Forestry Department repeatedly in the last month, and though they say the officials committed to look into the reports, no one ever showed up; and if they ever did, Alvarado says they declared that all was in order.

Alvarado told Amandala that, in addition to the illegality of cutting outside the concession area, some of the trees that were cut were severely undersized—some as small as 4 inches in diameter. The tree stumps that littered the forest floor reflected the plunder. The loggers had cut down Mahogany, Santa Maria, poisonwood and Sapodilla. 

Under the watchful eye of the media, the Forestry Department officers began confiscating the logs, marking each with their official stamp. However, rather than the logs being confiscated, Alvarado is asking that they be given to the village instead. He argues that, given longstanding suspicion of collusion between some Forestry Department officials and the Mennonite loggers, there is concern that the confiscated timber may ultimately be returned to those responsible for the illegal extraction. Already, five days later, when the equipment should have been seized and safeguarded at the Sandhill police station prior to court proceedings, they were allowed to be taken back to the Mennonite’s sawmill with the understanding that the court can mandate their return at any time. The explanation provided by the Forestry Department is that on previous occasions, equipment has been vandalized or stolen at the police station. Belize’s laws provide that upon conviction, the court may order permanent forfeiture of equipment used in the commission of an offence. 

It was a bold stand for Alvarado and the villagers, who say they are tired of their pristine resources being desecrated. They understand the interconnectedness of the ecosystem, with the forest cover providing sustenance as well for the parrots and gibnuts. They thanked their own area representative, Hon. Marconi Leal, Jr., who went out to the area on Friday to stand with his constituents.

Minister Mai, for his part, on Monday explained that he was informed that Wiens had a concession and that police were stopping the licensee. He stated, “I think that the closing period for that ends in July … but the loggers and the Forestry had agreed that what you cut or what is on the ground you can transport to wherever you are going to sell it to. So the police went there to stop that … It was very clear that that was a matter for Forestry to make a determination.” As to the allegations of Alvarado that the logs had been extracted from outside the concession area, Mai remarked, “We are on the telephone from this side. First you have to go out there with a GPS and make a determination whether it is from there or not from there. So, all he [Kareem Musa] said was wait, call Forestry and have Forestry go in and do their assessment …” Asked if he helped Wiens get his logging license, Mai stated, “Absolutely not!”

Importantly, officials from the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) are also on the ground, as there are reports that at least two Maya mounds were demolished by the loggers. Officials told us today that the investigation is still ongoing.

APAMO calls for moratorium and license review

In light of this latest scandal, the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO) has called on the Ministry of Sustainable Development, through the Forest Department, to implement an immediate moratorium on the issuance of new short and long-term logging concessions, particularly in sensitive biodiversity sites. It notes that illegal logging activity near and within Belize’s protected areas is on the rise, and cites that over the last 25 years, Belize’s forest cover has been reduced from close to 70% to about 62%.

APAMO is also calling for a review of all active logging licenses to ensure legal compliance. It likewise demands the revocation of licenses and concessions of violating operators. It deems it necessary that a ban be imposed on re-application by violators.    The organization commended Chairman Alvarado and the police “for their valiant and heroic efforts in stopping the illegal activities occurring in Boston Village.” It is also requesting a meeting between government officials and protected areas co-managers and other stakeholders to address concerns about long-term concessions.