Belize Times August 23, 2020- Where are the Millions?

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The Belize Times

23 AUG

THE BELIZE TIMES

APP

2020

Established 1957

23 AUGUST 2020 | ISSUE NO: 5212

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.biz | $1.00

BARROW’S FRENCH BUKUT TO BELIZE “Après moi, le déluge” This was Dean Barrow’s usual pretentious verbiage when questioned about rumoured scalping of public officers’ salaries and reflects the type of leadership that has ruled over Belize and its people for twelve and a half years. Arrogant!!

Après moi, le déluge translated from French literally means ‘after me, the flood’. It has also been defined as I don’t really care what happens after, I’ll be gone. All this is a direct Barrow insult to Belizeans citizens expecting them not to have the capacity to understand.

The Barrow Government has plunged Belize into a serious economic crunch which has been further compounded by their utter mismanagement of the coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic. A paradoxical view taken from the Charles Dicken’s novel ‘The Tale of Two Cities’ “the best of times and the worst of times” is befitting of the times being experienced in the Jewel. UDP ministers and their cronies continue to dine on Texas ribeye whilst the majority of Belizeans are compelled to cut back on essentials necessary for their survival in these extremely dire times.

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TROPICAL SYSTEM IN OUR AREA

Shirtless Heredia Insults San Pg. 2 Pedranos

WHERE ARE THE MILLIONS?

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UDP LOSES CONTROL

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EVERYBODY FI WIN!

planBelize

TODOS GANAMOS!

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BARROW’S FRENCH BUKUT TO BELIZE “Après moi, le déluge” Continued from page 1 The Prime Minister pontificates and legislates to the detriment of public officers, dock labourers, teachers and the common man and woman.

The latest affront to these workers is the amendment to the Labour Act CAP 239. Such a legislation exposes members of the workforce to the risk of loss of income and also job losses.

These flurry of legislative actions is an attempt by the PM cunningly heeding to the recommendations proffered by the lending institutions.

Subsequent to hitting the ‘debt wall’, Barrow has been on a quest for new financing arrangements. The PM has indicated that “any chance of further commercial borrowing is shot. So we will have to go to these people and they will extract their pound flesh. It is a kind of old automatic. They won’t give the assistance that you require except if they say, aha you will no longer be able to proceed as though you are heedless to what we have been saying for years and years.”

Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow warned that a condition for financial assistance needed could be pension reform, the trimming of the wage bill and the retrenchment of the public sector. However, it was the investment in the public sector for which the PM cooed as being the focal measure—one yardstick that distills and defined the raison d’etre of his administration. In his budget speech for 2020/2021 made on Thursday, March 5, 2020 “making every dollar count” Barrow boasted about the “investment in personal employment for all our 14,000 public officers, police and military personnel, all our teachers, nurses, doctors and every last person who serves our citizens, the approximately 1,000 pensioners we look after in their post-service life.”

The salaries for those listed amount now to $540 million up from $276.3 million in 2008.” An increase of $35 million each year. Consequently, the PM has been reckless and irresponsible in the representation of the budget. Similarly, the wanton borrowing and the lack of prudent financial management has become the haunt for Belize in accessing desperately needed financing placing the country in an unenviable position.

To Dean Barrow’s disingenuousness, saying “I grieve for my Belize” I say ‘don’t grieve, fix it then leave.’ Aluta Continua, the struggle continues!!

VOICE of the Common Man Hilly Bennett

TROPICAL SYSTEM IN OUR AREA

6 am, August 20 - Showers and thunderstorms continue to become better organized in association with a tropical wave and accompanying a broad area of low pressure over the central Caribbean Sea. Satellite imagery suggests that the circulation is becoming better defined and if these development trends continue, a tropical depression is likely to form today or tonight as the system approaches the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Interests in Honduras and the Yucatan Peninsula should closely monitor the progress of this system. Regardless of development, this disturbance will likely produce heavy rains across a large portion of Central America (Belize) and southeastern Mexico late this week and this weekend.

An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the disturbance system later today. * Formation chance through 48 hours...high...90 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days... high...90 percent.

Also, The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Depression Thirteen, located several hundred miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.

23 AUG

THE BELIZE TIMES

Shirtless Heredia Insults San Pedranos This time Heredia has topped all previous despicable acts with one that further exposes his dangerous incompetence meshed with his open disdain for San Pedranos.

Who flew the coronavirus into Belize destined for San Pedro?

Who allowed infected people to spread all over Belize from San Pedro?

Regardless, Heredia is in charge of San Pedro. He also has sat at the Cabinet table with his unhinged boss for thirteen years in search of a new ways to attack and torture Belize. So when the uninvited planes came in both Heredia, Minister of Aviation, and Barrow, Minister of Everything they are to blame. Anything that this decision caused lies squarely in their laps. Yes, any coronavirus that was flown in and the infections it causes is theirs to blame. Any hunger the State of Emergency causes is because of the incompetence of Heredia, Barrow and Faber for being the Champion of Inaction.

So, Heredia and Barrow blame the border jumpers, strip their canoes for the raging SARS-COV2 positives on the Island of Ambergris Caye—where San Pedro is placed. Regardless of who all are positive on the island, the poor of San Pedro are smack in the middle of the UDP’s rumble. San Pedranos are in need of food.

In the picture provided, one can see an anti-regulation crowd

WHERE ARE THE MILLIONS?

The UDP’s incompetence has found a way to corrupt EVERYTHING that they touch and EVERYTHING the UDP attempts goes wrong. We have called it here Barrow’s Law, which is so much worse for Belize than Murphy’s.

In the time of Covid when people are quarantined in Belize it is not custody. It is not jail time. People must be treated with dignity. Even criminal prisoners demand a certain level of dignity.

Quarantined individuals are placed there so that others can be protected from the unforgiving coronavirus.

Pictures coming out of the quarantine center in Orange Walk show the food being issued in ways that quickly launches humanitarian concerns. The UDP footprint is all over.

UDP caterers. UDP delivery. UDP stinginess. UDP tasteless choice of food. This treatment is bound to coax International concern. It should not reach there. Belize is small enough to care.

The Orange Walk Multipurpose Complex and most likely other places are not retrofitted for humans to

2020

stay for extended periods of time. Specifically, there are 27-29 persons in quarantine at this location. Some were told that they were to be quarantined for 14 days, 19 days have passed and it seems they have forgotten or don’t care. Others were told that they were to be held for 30 days; they have been in there for 40 days and counting. There are children of 6 and 16 years of age locked up in there eating the food you see in these images!!! The psychological damage done to these children is irreparable!! Many of these persons have been tested up to four times and have tested negative!! If by chance anyone makes it in there Covid negative they are bound to be infected positive in this quarantine centers since there are no division between the persons which in some cases involve entire families.

The question is, where are the millions touted by Dean Barrow? More than once in his reign of infamy he has stood and shouted about the millions he has in his golden coffers. More than once he has uttered sheer falsehoods destined to get a desired reaction from a listening crowd but no real action and much less results. Only UDPs have managed real access to these millions. Who are they?

A PUP government will find out.

in front of a residence with some persons on the upper level verandah. Yes, needs need to be met.

Yes, the people are allowed to retrieve food. Will all these Heredia gathered people go into isolation? If one of them was infected then the spread increases. This coronavirus is a killer. The needy San Pedranos went for help NOT to meet with a killer nor much less to return home with the killer coronavirus. Heredia knows the rules(we think) but he orchestrated an insensitive distribution of vouchers.

The Police Commissioner says there is zero tolerance SoE infractions except if the UDP Minister has a good explanation.

Shirtless Heredia was not satisfied with placing many in an illegal gathering Indeed, the UDP are Vega abnormal even Heredia.

In an action best suited for video, Heredia’s family were seen with Heredia on their San Pedro verandah FLUTTERING paper down to the needy San Pedranos in a despicable act that squashed out the core of human dignity from our fellow Belizeans.

No Manuel that is NOT the way to treat our people. It is not.

Stop searching for excuses as to why it was all right.

Resign Heredia...it is the last act you have if you wish to summon back a smidgen of honor.

San Pedro will be left in great hands. Andre and the PUP will work with the San Pedranos to restore human dignity and the economic prosperity which was all devoured by you and the UDP. Heredia, you GOT to GO!!

Que viva el Partido Unido del Pueblo!!

The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 APR 2013

|

ISSUE NO: 4840

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz

|

$1.00

serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper.

Founder: Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, People’s United Party Leader Emeritus OFFICE MANAGER

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Chris Williams

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23 AUG

2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

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EDITORIAL

“Truth is an Offence, but not a Sin”

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Bob Marley – Kingston, Jamaica

he infectious disease experts over at the Johns Hopkins University explain that although in an extremely strict sense there is not a definitive definition of a wave for the current COVID-19 pandemic, it must follow a definitive pattern. As the term implies a wave then must have a natural pattern of peaks during which the numbers of infections increase and valleys during which the numbers of infected decrease. Dr. Margaret Harris from the World Health Organization has confirmed that in fact the world is still in the throes of the first wave of Covid-19. In her expert opinion in fact “it’s going to be one big wave up and down a bit.” Opinions vary on how long and hard the pandemic will hit us, many experts reference the Spanish Influenza and its second wave which was even more deadly than the first. Other opinions are that we must hold out for herd immunity and a vaccine. The truth is that herd immunity is only effective when between forty-three and sixty percent of any given population have become immune through vaccination or infection. The first, vaccination is not yet available and the second our health system cannot handle.

To have ever thought we had a first wave because we experienced twenty-three cases between March and June was a blunder. This was our first outbreak, the first of many. The national shut down merely stalled both the spread of the virus as well as our already slow economy. This respite should have been used to educate and prepare Belizeans with the same fervor, urgency, and budget of the YES to ICJ campaign. Belizeans should have expected to see polyclinics, hospitals and regional hospitals and the national referral hospital functioning at optimum levels. However, the UDP chose this exact moment to cut the services of Belizean medical specialists to save money, and at the same time reject a donation of twenty-five thousand free test kits.

They have hoarded personal protective equipment, and now when the respite is over, are just now frantically trying to set up ventilators in the regional hospitals. An explosion of new cases has occurred, and we are now at over 500 active cases. The natural inclination is to blame border jumpers whether they came in private jets or canoes, but the truth is our health system is failing us. Dr. Harris from the World Health Organization (WHO) says they “encourage all countries to make access for testing wide and available.” The UDP have made government the exclusive importer of Covid-19 tests. It is clear, they are in way over their head as they have a backlog of swabs a week old in some cases. Belizeans wishing to be tested cannot get access to testing from private labs even as the government in many instances refuses to provide the testing.

Dr. Manzanero has gone on record to say that they cannot provide testing for people with no symptoms.

The virus is spread mostly by those who are infected but asymptomatic. As a matter of fact, the majority of those infected may not present any symptoms and continue to spread the virus unknowingly. Of those who are infected one in five or twenty percent will require hospitalization, and five percent will require ventilators.

Of those that require ventilators it is shown that about thirty five percent will die.

We have presently five hundred and eleven active cases, statistics say then that of those, 102 will require hospitalization. We have been told that there are only about 60 beds countrywide for Covid-19. Twenty-five of those currently infected may require ventilators or assisted breathing, currently we have 21 functioning ventilators including those that are invasive and those that are non-invasive countrywide.

If these statistics hold true, we are already at capacity, Dr. Manza and Pablo just have not figured it out yet, and we are all about to discover what a total collapse of the health sector feels like. It is never a good idea to take advice from fools. They are fools those that insist on monopolizing the testing even when it is clear that it would serve the greater good to make it more accessible and eliminate the backlog. Fools, those that did not take advantage of the lull in the storm to make adequate preparations for the health system and invest in a full campaign to educate Belizeans and prepare them to brace for the coming storm. Bigger fools, those that encourage mass gatherings at their feet to feed only their inflated ego. Bob Marley famously said, “Truth is an offence but not a sin.” We may offend, the truth is often inconvenient, but always so very necessary.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

EDITORIAL

23 AUG

2020

en Español

“La verdad es una ofensa, pero no un pecado”

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Bob Marley – Kingston, Jamaica

os expertos en enfermedades infecciosas de la Universidad Johns Hopkins explican que, aunque en un sentido muy estricto no hay ninguna definición definitiva de una oleada para la actual pandemia de COVID-19, debe seguir un patrón definitivo. Como el término implica una ola, entonces debe tener un patrón natural de picos durante los cuales el número de infecciones aumenta, y valles durante los cuales el número de infectados disminuye. La Dra. Margaret Harris de la Organización Mundial de la Salud ha confirmado que, de hecho, el mundo está todavía en la agonía de la primera ola de Covid-19. En su opinión experta, de hecho “va a ser una gran ola que sube y baja un poco”.

Las opiniones varían en cuanto a la duración y la fuerza de la pandemia, muchos expertos hacen referencia a la gripe española y su segunda ola que fue incluso más mortal que la primera. Otras opiniones son que debemos esperar la inmunidad de manada, y una vacuna. La verdad es que la inmunidad de grupo sólo es efectiva cuando entre el 43 y el 60 por ciento de cualquier población se ha hecho inmune a través de la vacunación o la infección.

La primera, la vacunación aún no está disponible, y la segunda, nuestro sistema de salud no puede manejarla.

Haber pensado que tuvimos una primera oleada porque experimentamos veintitrés casos entre marzo y junio fue un error. Éste fue nuestro primer brote, el primero de muchos. El cierre nacional simplemente estanco tanto la propagación del virus como nuestra ya lenta economía. El respiro debería haber sido usado para educar y preparar a los beliceños con el mismo fervor, urgencia y presupuesto de la campaña del sí a la CIJ. Los beliceños habrían esperado ver las policlínicas, los hospitales y los hospitales regionales y el hospital nacional de referencia funcionando a niveles óptimos.

Sin embargo, el UDP eligió este preciso momento para recortar los servicios de los especialistas médicos de Belice para ahorrar dinero, y al mismo tiempo rechazar una donación de veinticinco mil kits de pruebas gratuitas.

Han acaparado el equipo de protección personal, y ahora cuando el respiro ha terminado, están tratando frenéticamente de instalar ventiladores en los hospitales regionales. Una explosión de nuevos casos ha ocurrido y ahora estamos en más de 500 casos activos. La inclinación natural es culpar a los saltadores de fronteras, ya sea que vinieran en jets privados o en canoas, pero la verdad es que nuestro sistema de salud nos está fallando. El Dr. Harris de la Organización Mundial de Salud (OMS) dice que “animan a todos los países a hacer el acceso a las pruebas de forma amplia y disponible”. El UDP ha hecho del gobierno el importador exclusivo de las pruebas de Covid-19. Es evidente que se han metido en camisa de once varas ya que tienen un atraso de hisopos de prueba de una semana de edad en algunos casos. Los beliceños que desean ser examinados no pueden acceder a las pruebas de los laboratorios privados, incluso cuando el gobierno en muchos casos se niega a proporcionar las pruebas...

El Dr. Manzanero ha dicho públicamente que no pueden proporcionar pruebas a personas sin síntomas. El virus se propaga principalmente por aquellos que están infectados pero asintomáticos. De hecho, la mayoría de infectados puede no presentar ningún síntoma y seguir propagando el virus sin saberlo. De los que están infectados uno de cada cinco o veinte por ciento requerirá hospitalización, y cinco por ciento requerirá ventiladores. De los que requieren ventiladores se muestra que alrededor del treinta y cinco por ciento morirá.

Actualmente tenemos quinientos once casos activos, según las estadísticas, 102 requerirán hospitalización. Nos han dicho que sólo hay unas 60 camas en todo el país para Covid-19. Veinticinco de infectados de hecho pueden requerir ventiladores o respiración asistida, en el presente momento tenemos 21 ventiladores que funcionan, incluidos los que son invasivos y los que no son invasivos en todo el país. Si estas estadísticas son ciertas, ya estamos al límite de nuestra capacidad, el Dr. Manza y Pablo todavía no se han dado cuenta, y estamos a punto de descubrir cómo se siente un colapso total del sector de la salud.

Nunca es buena idea recibir consejos de tontos. Son tontos los que insisten en monopolizar las pruebas, aunque está claro que serviría al bien mayor hacerlas más accesibles y eliminar el atraso. Tontos, aquellos que no aprovecharon la calma en la tormenta para hacer los preparativos adecuados para el sistema de salud e invertir en una campaña completa para educar a los beliceños y prepararlos para prepararse para la tormenta venidera. Tontos más grandes, los que alientan las reuniones masivas a sus pies para alimentar sólo su ego inflado. Bob Marley dijo: “La verdad es una ofensa, pero no un pecado.” Podemos ofender, la verdad es a menudo inconveniente, pero siempre muy necesario.

23 AUG

2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

BELLY of the

BEAST

Grampa Dean Zenaida might have had a few screws loose. Well to be honest she had a whole hardware store worth of screws loose. But she was spot on when she made reference to Grampa Dean’s shrivelled, dangling appendages, or lack thereof. Imagine that this man doesn’t have the cojones to tell the Belizean people in plain English that he’s ready to retire to the beach in Placencia where he can contemplate how to spend the millions he made while in office. A couple days ago he was being interviewed and started explaining in French that he messed up so bad that when he rolls out all hell will break loose. Speak plain English gramps. The truth is that while the old man lacks the bolas to come clean, we know exactly how bad things are. Because we’re the normal Belizeans who haven’t gotten the privileges that UDP ministers and their cronies get. While UDP Ministers are still living all fancy during this pandemic, there are people who literally cannot get food or help. That is the reality on the streets. So take your French and stick it where the sun don’t shine, Grampa Dean. Your day of reckoning is coming soon.

All glitter We figure in the interest of politics we should be focused on cousin Patrick, who we’re told is the leader elect of the UDP. But it’s so damned hard to take him seriously. Everybody knows his political aspirations to be Prime Minister will never see the light of day, and he’s become such a petulant, pouting punk lately that we decided to leave him to sulk in his little UDP timeout corner. Now Grampa Dean is a jackass of a totally different colour. Just this past week he was bold enough to say that it doesn’t matter if the UDP makes bad decisions while he’s there, because it’s not like anybody can cut his pay.

The pretentious fool likes to point out that he’s given up his salary since March. But he’s wearing the dunce cap, not us. You think it’s any coincidence that immediately after that the Police started renting a building owned by Barrow for over $6000 a month? Trust us when we

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say that Gramps hasn’t lost a thing. Under the UDP, only us normal, regular taxpayers always lose.

Another sick puppy We watched the video footage of Manuel Heredia high on his veranda as hundreds of residents of San Pedro begged for assistance. We watched as Heredia lowered a little string, handing out crumbs, disrespecting Belizeans like the UDP always does. Imagine that in San Pedro where Heredia is Area Representative and there is a UDP Town Council in charge, people are literally forced to beg for help. That is what the UDP has created. While Heredia has gotten rich, nothing has been done to improve the conditions of the residents of San Pedro, many of whom still live in poverty. And you know what pisses us off even more? Police were quick to arrest a poor Pastor in the south for having 16 people in his church, yet the Commissioner says that he can’t arrest Heredia for having more than 200 people gathered in front of his home, a clear breach of social distancing protocols. Typical animal farm mentality. All these new regulations have done is punish the poor Belizean.

The Police are quick to pick up and arrest any normal Belizean on the street not wearing a mask. But their boss, affectionately known in the BPD as Minister Humpty Dumpty, can be all over the place without a mask. Fih Gawd Sake Stop It! Disgraceful This week a Customs Officer and an Immigration Officer were charged after a tugboat went to Honduras and the crew came back COVID-19 positive. That’s a hell of a thing, and we gotta say we’re proud of the Comptroller of Customs for calling bullshit in a hurry. The fact is that the Belize Port Authority gave authorization for the tugboat to go. All relevant authorities gave permission. The big boys at Big Creek knew what was going down. So how come nobody in authority has been arrested and charged? Lone fool that. It’s just like Civil Aviation giving permission for private planes to land in Belize. One month after that plane landed which may have started the whole spread of COVID in San Pedro, everybody’s gone quiet. We still don’t know who was in the damned plane, and for sure nobody’s gone to arrest Manuel Heredia for allowing the plane to land. You’re a good guy sometimes, Chester, but you need to get your head out of the politicians’ hind-quarters and do your job. Your job is not to follow orders from the UDP and surely not to escort Minister Humpty Dumpty all over the place.

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23 AUG

THE BELIZE TIMES

QUESTIONS TO THE MINISTERS

1. Will the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please provide the nation with an update on the number of Belizeans who applied for unemployment assistance and the number of Belizeans who have been approved for such assistance?

2. Will the Minister of Health please inform the nation how many patients who went to the KHMH intensive care unit for COVID-19 issues have died and how many have recovered and sent home?

3. Considering that Patrick Faber the leader elect of the UDP and current Minister of Education felt the need to comment on the #planBelize policy on education titled Education Nation which promised real free education for all and a solid program for early childhood education and other innovative ideas to change education in Belize for the better, will he inform the nation when he will roll out his Party’s policy on Education?

4. Considering the fact that the Prime Minister has announced a number of international assistance that he said was promised to Belize to assist with food, small businesses and unemployment, will the Prime Minister now say exactly how much of such assistance has actually been given to Belize and where those moneys went?

5. Belize, our numbers are rising, COVID is real. Please wear your mask in public, wash your hands often, practice social distancing and keep safe.

2020

BY ORDER OF MORTGAGEE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO SELL HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED a statutory body formed and registered under the Credit Union Act, Chapter 314 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, and whose registered office is situated at No. 1 Hyde’s Lane, Belize City, Belize District hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under and by virtue of a Deed of Mortgage registered at the Land Titles Unit between DELFIN MUNOZ of the one part and HRCU of the other part.

HRCU will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule below.

ALL offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing to Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited from whom full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained.

SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 40, comprising 1021.613 Square Metres situate East of the Northern Highway (now Philip Goldson Highway), Near Mile 18, Sandhill Village, Belize District, being such land comprised in MINISTER’S FIAT GRANT No. 628 of 2012 dated 21st November 2012 and more particularly shown and delineated on a Plan of Survey dated 21st August 2012 by G.E. Valdez, Licensed Land Surveyor, recorded at the Office of the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, Belmopan City, Cayo District in Register No. 4, Entry No. 12681 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon the freehold property of DELFIN MUNOZ DATED this 19th August 2020 HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738 Email: foreclosures@hrcubelize.org

CARTOON

23 AUG

2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Party Leader John Briceño’s Message for

Spotlight Event

Domestic violence impacts us all. It makes no distinction between age, ethnicity or creed. Of the victims of domestic violence in our country, almost three out of every four are women. One in three women over 25 have suffered some form of physical violence, with more than half of these women living in the Belize District.

This is not only wrong, but a violation of one of our fundamental rights as Belizeans, freedom from fear.

We should all understand that everyone is a victim of domestic violence, but for women who are beaten and abused, they are being robbed of their autonomy, security, and more so, they face tremendous threats to their health and safety. For this reason, we in the PUP are strongly opposed to any form of domestic violence but in particular against women and children.

Our #planBelize agenda will commit to do everything in our power to uphold the law and to defend the right of our women to be free from violence and abuse. Our Women’s Agenda, which will be launched in the coming weeks will celebrate what previous PUP Administrations have done to protect women.

Initiatives like passing significant legislative changes to make tougher sentences for those who commit violence against women.

The strengthening of the family court to address issues relating the family, and providing support to NGO Organizations that work directly with women’s issues.

Now we must go further.

This is why we commit to working with stakeholders like UN Women, UNDP and other social partners in development that seek to promote equality and to end domestic violence in all its forms.

Today we join this Spotlight initiative and pledge to work with you in contributing to ending family violence by strengthening policy and legislation that will guarantee increased protection of women and girls.

We will work towards building our capacity here in Belize to expand services and address the root causes that promote violence against women and girls. Victims of domestic violence not only face abuse, but often find themselves financially insecure. Also, children who witness domestic violence can be negatively affected for life.

Yes, all acts of violence go against our values, but domestic violence is worst for it is dehumanizing and goes against decency. It goes against our most fundamental ideals. So we all have a responsibility to try to end this grave problem.

Our pledge is that we will work hard to build on the progress made so far and improve domestic violence prevention and response efforts.

We will do more to reach people seeking help and we will ensure that the workplaces for women are safer and that our women earn equal pay for equal work.

For we are convinced that this is an important part of building a Belize that works for everyone and we believe that Everybody fi win.

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UDP LOSES CONTROL “You abandoned the Country” – Senator Michel Chebat

In today’s Senate Hearing, the United Democratic Party embodied in the unelected Michael Peyrefitte was seen retreating after Senator Chebat’s retort which swiped at the very core of the corrupt UDP. The moment was one where the Senator was pointing out to oversights by Dean Barrow and the UDP in the handling of the Covid pandemic in Belize. Peyrefitte then attempted to stand in order to shift blame to Party Leader John Briceño for having decided to part ways with the Oversight Committee and thus stepping down as one of the co-Chairs. As is Peyrefitte’s crass style, we talks as he is standing as if he were the President of the Senate. Senator Chebat did not yield the floor and verbally shoved Peyrefitte back into his seat with a stern reply.

Peyrefitte had said, ‘He(Chebat) opened a door” Chebat’s retorted, “You(Peyrefitte) opened the door. You abandoned the country.”

Chebat then went on to defend the Party Leader and the very PUP’s exit from the Covid Oversight Committee. Chebat verballed castigated the UDP stipulating that the Party Leader left the committee because his suggestions and ideas were being ignored by the Prime Minister. We can recall that the Prime Minister only used the Oversight Committee to push a UDP agenda of deception. The Oversight Committee was being used by the UDP to hide the misuse of funds in the Health sector and the political over contamination of both the Covid Relief Fund and the Covid Food Assistance. Today these two programs have become UDP electioneering vehicles to garner votes for the upcoming General Elections.

UDP’s loss of any little control of the Covid free situation has been nothing short of malpractice. Our sudden rise in cases to 500 plus and counting is a TOTAL indictment of the UDP administration’s lack of vision, charisma and mandate to do anything significant for this nation.

Belize Surpasses Taiwan in Covid Cases

Taiwan is an island of 23.8 million and 13, 974 square miles. Of course, Tiawanese history goes back much further than Belize’s, our country of some half a million people and 8,867 square miles. Those numbers show that Taiwan has a density of 1,700 persons per square mile compared to Belize’s 50 persons per square mile. Of course, that number would get denser for both countries if we would measure only the urban areas. Nevertheless, science has shed light on the notion that the coronavirus has some level of respect for social/physical distancing, hand cleanliness, and health care management(mostly testing and contact tracing). But the success with these three aspects REQUIRE real leadership to implement and this is totally lacking in the UDP administration.

Many thanks are always due to anyone who helps the health sector and Taiwan is one that deserves much thanks. Here we are showing our Belizean populace how an island with citizens living much closer to each other is STILL under 500 SARSCOV2 cases and with seven deaths. Meanwhile Belize seem to be unharnessed as we have had 5 unnecessary deaths and close to or over 600 cases.

UDP Pins another ScapeGoat

23 AUG

THE BELIZE TIMES

As a people, we need to do for ourselves what the government cannot do for us. The UDP in the very words of the Prime Minister, albeit French, does not care for Belize. The UDP government allowed the planes then didn’t allow then yes they allowed. Then, they didn’t know a TugBoat left our waters then yes then no. Oh! Let us charge someone who allowed the Tugboat to leave was the UDP reaction.

When one customs officer is criminally charged then the incompetent UDP is conceding that they have just allowed ONE person to have a handle on Belize’s entire National Security. The UDP’s incompetence has opened the door for one public officer to make a national security decision. The UDP do not fathom this high notion.

The previous scapegoat was in the form of canoes seized in Santa Cruz village, a Rio Hondo border village. Without a single Covid case in that village nor a shred of evidence nor a warrant, the UDP went in with expropriation powers and grabbed the villagers’ canoes. Yes, contrabanding is illegal and Barrow is well aware that to grab something without proof is trouble. Case in point, he grabbed BTL and in the end he shook hands for 500 plus millions of dollars which for all intents is a still unaudited transaction waiting to be forensically audited.

So the customs officer is charged, the canoes are seized, and the wealthy Private Jet owners get PCR tests and access to our Jewel with a mirage of a protocol.

UDP corruption at its worst.

2020

NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given to all interested parties that the company MGC INVESTMENTS CORP. (“the Company”) incorporated under the IBC Act of Belize commenced dissolution on the 4th day of August, 2020; and Mr. Nicolás Denis Hernández of Miguel Martinez 3790, Block M, Ap. 003, Montevideo, Uruguay is the Liquidator of the Company, and any claims against the company should be forwarded to the Liquidator within 30 days from commencement.

GCC Corporate Consultants Group Limited.

Registered Agent

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the below company has been dissolved and struck off the International Business Companies Register with effect from the date indicated: EVER FORTUNE ENTERPRISE LTD. – 9th August, 2020 GenPro Consulting (Belize) Limited Registered Agent

23 AUG

2020

“Test the Living”

“Shown is the rolling 7-day average. The number of confirmed cases(in Belize is lower than the number of actual cases; the main reason for that is limited testing.”

–ourworldindata.org August 19 – Today Belize gets the undesired update of our 5th loss and of others that are critical. As our numbers zoom past the level of other countries in the region with much larger population sizes, it is easy to see that there has been a systemic breakdown at the highest of levels of the UDP government which generally adversely affects everyone who they are in charge of protecting.

One of the failures of the Government of Belize is the testing capacity which might be politically motivated. All this is besides the blame warranted for the lacklustre effort at border management and the result of incompetence at executing protocols when flying in unannounced private jets and allowing occupants to roam Belize roughshod.

The saddest of cases are that three of the most recent deaths and really all our deaths have had grave issues with testing including the recent pair of posthumous tests and results. This is saddening. As one FB user commented poignantly, “Test the Living.”

Pope Francis on August 19, 2020 - “How sad it would be if for the COVID-19 vaccine, priority is given to the richest.”

Today we hear of private medical institutions offering to swab anyone for a hefty price tag—average of 400 dollars. Who is doing the actual PCR testing of this sample? Are they middle men to the dollar hungry UDP government? The GoB has announced that NO one can private test. Only the GoB can test. So family members who are obvious contacts to SARS-COV2 positive individuals are refused a test because the Ministry of Health has adopted the insane policy of only testing you if you have symptoms.

“Having such a low positivity rate likely means the city(New York) is doing enough testing and able to find cases before they turn into outbreaks.” – Article on The Hill.

There is an obvious breakdown and distressful loss of the late May-Juneearly July control that we Belizeans had of the coronavirus.

Is there priority testing being done in Belize? It seems that for a buck one can jump ahead of the line. But what else can be expected from a government that refused a gift of 25 thousand test kits in late March 2020 from South Korea via the SICA(Central America group)? What else can be expected when roads are being built to nowhere as we speak while our people are hungry and dying?

We need to really look at what others have done and learn intelligently.

We can extract and follow best practises from New Zealand. Ahead are excerpts from the New England Journal of Medicine.

“By mid-March, it was clear that community transmission was occurring in New Zealand and that the country

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THE BELIZE TIMES

didn’t have sufficient testing and contact-tracing capacity to contain the virus…”

“In early May, the last known Covid-19 case was identified in the community and the person was placed in isolation, which marked the end of identified community spread. On June 8, the government announced a move to Alert Level 1, thereby effectively declaring the pandemic over in New Zealand, 103 days after the first identified case.”

“New Zealand is now in the post elimination stage, which comes with its own uncertainties. The only cases identified in the country are among international travellers, all of whom are kept in government-managed quarantine or isolation for 14 days after arrival so they don’t compromise the country’s elimination status. Of course, New Zealand remains vulnerable to future outbreaks arising from failures of border-control and quarantine or isolation policies.

Most jurisdictions pursuing containment (including mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Australia) have experienced such setbacks and have responded with rapid reescalation of control measures. New Zealand needs to plan to respond to resurgences with a range of control measures, including mass masking, which hasn’t been part of our response to date.”

“There are several lessons from New Zealand’s pandemic response.

Rapid, science-based risk assessment linked to early, decisive government action was critical. Implementing interventions at various levels (border-control measures, community-transmission control measures, and case-based control measures) was effective. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern provided empathic leadership and effectively communicated key messages to the public — framing combating the pandemic as the work of a unified “team of 5 million” — which resulted in high public confidence and adherence to a suite of relatively burdensome pandemic-control measures.”

With credible leadership, Belize should be able to pull ahead. Happening at this moment in Belize is a government in rabid election mode. We have a government that is only thinking of dollars needed for electioneering and campaigning. Even our international obligations are not being met and the Prime Minister does not care.

He keeps saying that Belize will need to institute measures after he is gone.

Dean Barrow does not care for Belize.

If he did, he would call on Belize to go to the polls to give a government a fresh mandate so needed to combat the coronavirus. The UDP ways only hurt Belize. The UDP ways does not protect Belizeans. The UDP way is infamy.

Pope Francis: “The pandemic is a crisis. You don’t come out of it the same — either better or worse,’’ “We must come out better”

NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given to all interested parties that the company GUIDE BEST LTD. (“the Company”) incorporated under the IBC Act of Belize commenced dissolution on the 10th day of August, 2020; and Chen, Ming-Yi of No. No. 171-7, Niupu S. Rd., Xiangshan Dist., Hsinchu City, Taiwan, R.O.C. is the Liquidator of the Company, and any claims against the company should be forwarded to the Liquidator within 30 days from commencement.

GenPro Consulting (Belize) Limited.

Registered Agent

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the below companies have been dissolved and struck off the International Business Companies Register with effect from the dates indicated: Name of Company

Date

Glencor International Limited

28th July, 2020

Najaco American Holding Company, Inc.

11th August, 2020

Belize Corporate Services Limited Registered Agent

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the below companies have been dissolved and struck off the International Business Companies Register with effect from the dates indicated: Name of Company

Date

NEWLAND CONSULTING LTD.

28th July, 2020

SERCO TRADERS CORPORATION

28th July, 2020

VERNON CORPORATION

1st August, 2020

Icaza Belize Trust Corporation Limited Registered Agent

NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given to all interested parties that the following companies (“the Companies”) incorporated under the IBC Act of Belize commenced dissolution as follows: Name of Company CHAMELET PARTNERS LTD.

Date of Commencement of Dissolution 28th July, 2020

GAFELTANO HOLDINGS LIM- 13th August, 2020 ITED

Liquidator Name & Address Antonia Skordi Echhideh of Titanon 11, 2224, Latsia, Nicosia, Cyprus Eftychia Giallourou of 20 Solonos Street, 3035, Limassol, Cyprus

Any claims against the company should be forwarded to the Liquidator within 30 days from commencement.

Icaza Belize Trust Corporation Limited Registered Agent

10

EMPLOYERS TO CUT SALARIES

UDP Amends the Law to Make It Easier

On Friday August 14, 2020 the comatose UDP sporting an unhinged Prime Minister, a planless Leader elect and a gang of misfiring Ministers proposed and speedily passed a Bill to amend the Labour Act to allow Employers and Employees to lawfully be able to agree on temporary pay cuts and temporary layoffs without employee’s years of service being affected. Or so, it is touted by the UDP. The PUP representatives were taken by surprise as with all bills presented by the UDP. This is the same way the Perdomo write-off bill was presented.

Now, fast forward to the Senate sitting on Wednesday August 19, 2020 the bill was to be debated for final passage into law.

Lo and behold, the Senator for the private sector said a little more. He said that the organizations he represents had not been consulted and that the bill was totally a surprise.

Senator Lizarraga stated that he doesn’t endorse any bill that would place the employees in a position where they could be taken advantage by their employer.

For her part, the Senator for the NTUCB also did not like the idea that a bill which affects employment is being passed without consultation with the Union which is always affected by changes to the Labour Laws.

The question on what mechanism will be used when the employee and the employer sit to discuss a possible furloughing was left hanging in the usual UDP inaction. They will wait and see if there is any problem and then try to patchwork it. The UDP patchwork administration has been attempting to sail the entire Belize ship with the technique of fixing it when a leak springs. When the ship springs a leak, they add some Never Leak and Duct Tape and let’s move on. After thirteen years of that policy the UDP ship in sinking and to Belize’s chagrin, Belizeans will need to save if from the UDP. The only good part is that the UDP will

23 AUG

THE BELIZE TIMES

be gone ready to be castigated by history and Belizean law.

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize went on record before the Senate sitting. It had issued a press release and also sent a letter to the Prime Minister voicing disagreement with the bill.

“We call on all members of the Senate to vote against this amendment to the Labor Law, until the NTUCB has been properly consulted, given a fair opportunity to voice its concerns, and make the necessary adjustments, before its full passage into law. COVID-19 will not, and cannot be an excuse to further widen the gap between those who have and those who do not.

We are either all in this together or not!”

“The NTUCB finds this action from the Government of Belize absolutely distasteful as it spits on the face of the Tripartism to which Government, Employers’ and Employees’ representatives have subscribed to for years now.

2020

In the same manner that the government claimed that employers had protested the passage of the Occupational Health and Safety Bill into law back in 2014, we the employees’ representatives strongly, and totally oppose the passage of this bill into law, citing that it is too onerous for employees and their families! The gov-

ernment, at that time heeded the call of the employers, and gave them a fair opportunity to voice their concerns, and make the necessary adjustments, within consultations with the other stakeholders.”

The Bill was passed into law!! The UDP ignored the people again!!

NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given to all interested parties that the following companies (“the Companies”) incorporated under the IBC Act of Belize commenced dissolution as follows: Name of Company

Date of Commencement of Dissolution

Liquidator Name & Address

NOVASTAR HOLDING LTD.

29th July, 2020

Doriana Ruseva of 26 Pittalou, Agia Fyla, P.C. 3117, Limassol, Cyprus

HEAVENSDOOR LTD.

29th July, 2020

Holger Fricke of Martin-Luther-Strasse 49, 31137 Hildesheim, Germany

DEXTER LIMITED

29th July, 2020

Mr. Jonas Lundberg of Urb Visillo 5, C/Alcino Mota, 29602 Marbella, Spain

MARIANO LTD.

29th July, 2020

Mr. Jonas Lundberg of Urb Visillo 5, C/Alcino Mota, 29602 Marbella, Spain

SIGMA LOGIC LTD.

29th July, 2020

Mr. Jonas Lundberg of Urb Visillo 5, C/Alcino Mota, 29602 Marbella, Spain

SAPHIRE SERVICES LIMITED.

29th July, 2020

Mr. Jonas Lundberg of Urb Visillo 5, C/Alcino Mota, 29602 Marbella, Spain

Any claims against the company should be forwarded to the Liquidator within 30 days from commencement.

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE: PROPERTY Belize Corporate Services Limited Toledo District Registered Agent DER of the Mortgagees, Licensed Auctioneers Kevin A. Castillo & Christiana R. C PUBLIC AUCTION SALE: PROPERTY g property at No 170 Beltex Avenue, BelamaToledo Phase 1, Belize City on Monday 24 District

BY ORDER of the Mortgagees, Licensed Auctioneers Kevin A. Castillo & Christiana R. Castillo will sell the following property at No 170 Beltex Avenue, Belama Phase 1, Belize City on : Monday 24th August 2020 at 1:30 pm: ************************Toledo District****************** ************************Toledo District************************ Parcel No. 926 Far West Street, Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District: Parcel No. 926 Far West Street, Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District:

REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK PARCEL Punta Gorda 42 926

REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK PARCEL Punta Gorda (Being an incomplete elevated dwelling house42 [932 sq. ft.] containing 2 bedrooms + 1926 bathroom + living/dining/kitchen and lot [533.33 S.Y.] situate on Far West Street, Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District, ng an incomplete elevated dwelling house [932 sq. ft.] containing 2 bedrooms + 1 b the freehold property of Mr. Rene Pennell) g/dining/kitchen and lot [533.33 S.Y.] situate on Far West Street, Punta Gorda Tow TERMS: STRICTLY CASH KEVIN A. CASTILLO eehold property of Mr. Rene Pennell) TELEPHONE 223-4488 E-mail: belizeauctionsales@gmail.com TERMS: STRICTLY CASH Face Book: Belize Auctions

23 AUG

2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

PUP Councils braving COVID in spite of the broke no-help incompetent UDP Corozal Town Council:

Street Work We are advising motorists, cyclists and pedestrians that a section of 1st Street North is currently undergoing repairs by the Corozal Town Council. Traffic and pedestrian access to 1st Street North as well as a section of 4th Avenue near St. Francis Xavier School will be temporarily interrupted to facilitate the improvements. We also appeal to the public to avoid utilising the section on 1st Street North until the traffic barriers are removed by CTC officers. Thanks in advance for your kind understanding and cooperation. Your CTC at work.

Tax Discounts You can get 25% Discount on all arrears until 14th August, 2020 or all year if you are over 65 and living on the property. (15% rest of Aug.) Take advantage of this great promotion. Online payments can also be made. Info at 480-2072. Authorised Collection Agents are ready to assist you.

Mayor Rigo Vellos calls on Corozaleños to preserve health and life as a priority, and to support frontline workers in the fight against the COVID19 pandemic by following health and safety guidelines.

Orange Walk Town Council: “The Work Continues.”

Mayor Kevin Bernard and Councillor Fernando Sanchez joined the Construction crew at La Democracia Street.

Also, we are grateful for a donation of masks from Rotary. These were then distributed to our workers who are constantly in the field.

Belize City Council, Always ‘Bout the People Kindly be reminded that everyone visiting the Michael Finnegan Market is expected to wear a mask, have their temperatures taken and sanitize upon entry. Also, please take advantage of the wash-hand basins located at each entrance. Let’s work together to flatten the COVID-19 curve, Belize City! #socialdistancing #flattenthecurve #maskup Please be informed that Traffic at City Hall will be discontinued immediately. We encourage residents to take advantage of our online services and over-the-counter banking options until the department reopens.

Three-day women upliftment forum under the theme “Molding Resilient Women In collaboration with the PUP United Women’s Group, our very own Councilor Aisha Gentle, responsible for Market, Citizen Engagement, Parks and Beautification, hosted the forum. This featured a series of discussions and talks led by the likes of Mayor Wagner, Councilor Dr. Pitts, Councilor Hylton, Councilor Castellanos and Councilor Arnold.

11

12

23 AUG

THE BELIZE TIMES

2020

Immigration/Customs at war with Police?

The picture shows the AJ Ellis and the white tent is where the men are staying under quarantine.

Looks cozy, thanks to the Ministry of Health. The other is the barge.

Yesterday, August 19, an Immigration and a customs officer were charged for illegally leaving the country. They have been identified as Junior Customs officer Deon Castillo (23), and Robert Flowers were charged with “abetment to exiting Belize illegally”. The reason why the junior customs officer with 2 ½ years of public service was charged is because he was the one who signed the document on July 25, 2020, giving clearance to the tugboat “AJ Ellis” with barge “ZMT1” to leave the country at a time when it prohibited to do so by virtue of the quarantine (prevention of the spread of infectious disease (COVID 19) regulations 2020.)

We understand the barge was not taken for cargo purposes as was previously allowed under SoE laws, but was taken to be serviced and the spent 10 days in Honduras.

Upon their return to Belize all five (5) crew members tested positive for COVID-19, believed to have

been contracted while in Honduras.

The crew members left the tug boat upon their arrival but were quickly instructed to go back and stay on the boat under mandatory quarantine.

The Comptroller of Customs Collin Griffith stood by his officer and said quote “For a while, I was lost for words in that I can never countenance how is it we could reach where we are. Enforcement agencies have always been able to sit together and resolve issues and if there are matters to be address

administratively, we address those matters administratively. I personally called the commissioner early this afternoon asking if there could be a sort of stay of execution for us to discuss this matter, but he informed that it was out of his hands.”

In the Belmopan court both officers pleaded not guilty and were offered bail of $1000.00 plus surety of the same amount. They are to return to court on September 24, 2020.

Compol Chester Williams in an

THE WHIP MORNING SHOW FOLLOWING PROTOCOLS

Everyone needs to take measures to protect EACH AND EVERY life in Belize.

I wear a mask to protect you, and me to a lesser extent.

You wear a mask to protect me and yourself.

We wear masks to protect our loved ones who cannot physically fight the coronavirus.

We social distance physically so that the virus may fall to the ground and not be breathed in. In

enclosed buildings, the virus can float in the aerosol of our exhalations. We need to be extremely careful in these situations. All persons in the building must be in full caution mode.

The Whip morning show on Vibes Radio and TV, and let me add on, on FB Live, reverberates on the Belizean airwaves and bandwidth every weekday morning at 7am up to 9am. The hosts of the show—Vaughan Gill, Wendy Castillo, and Hilly Bennett–are usually very animated as they present the

issues to the people. The coronavirus respects no one and has made see through barriers en vogue and practical. The Whip Show leads the way for the public to see the importance of the barrier now being seen all over the country.

Tune in every morning and see what the PUP is planning for the Belizean people. Also, be informed on the latest scandals that the UDP government cannot help but be a part of since 2008. Dehn Got to Go.

interview said that charges are expected on the owners of tugboat “AJ Ellis”///

OUT

!

Dear Editor Why is our SSB giving 300,000 dollars to Belize Elementary School?

Is it because they are just across the street or is it because they are rich. My God… even the Pope is asking that the rich not be given priority in this coronavirus time.

I do not have access to Belize Elementary. I noh have that level a money. But I know many who go there.

My boss lady is one. She constantly talks about the fees that she pay and that dah no lee bit a money.

I like what her daughter learns and only wish that I could send my kids to a school like that. But shouldn’t it be a Belizean right from when we are born to get an education like that. Why only rich people can afford to get a good education? If that dat, then Belize will always be backway. No one will get ahead…the rich will get richer and me either stay the same or find it hard to improve. Many might get poorer.

Back to BES, my boss always brags bout a bond payment she did at preschool registration. That payment takes the students even to highschool.

So am pretty sure that SSB might have collateral from BES but why isn’t the SSB money not used for projects that would benefit the poor workers who actually pay into the fund? There must be ways where this fund will get back its money still.

I know people who need Covid relief. I know poor schools that need supplies when dem finally open.

They asked me for donations. I had to scrape the little I had.

It just seems unfair that a rich school can get 300 thousand of worker’s money.

Thanks, Struggling Parent

23 AUG

13

THE BELIZE TIMES

2020

CRIME NEWS August 23, 2020 Attempted Murder A Guatemalan construction worker has been arrested and charged with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm of an elderly woman.

Rosa Delia Chincilla (59), continues to fight for her life at a private Belize City hospital.

According to Police, on Monday, August 17th, 2020, sometime around 11 a.m., Santos Edwardo Lopez Zepeda (25), went to Chincilla’s home located in Lindo’s Alley, Belize City to ask her if she could lend him some money. When Chincilla refused it is alleged he slit her throat, leaving her for dead.

Chincilla was assisted by neighbors and rushed to a private hospital where she underwent surgery. /// Drugs Found On Wednesday, August 19th, 2020, at about

Obituary

5:00 a.m., Police conducted a search beside a bus stop in the Red Creek Area, Santa Elena Town, which led to the discovery of a transparent plastic bag containing 82 grams of suspected cannabis and (1) 9mm pistol with an empty magazine. No one was in the immediate area at the time of the search and as a result items were sealed, labeled, and deposited as found property./// State of Emergency Breaches COMPOL Chester Williams has reported that over 188 people were arrested and charged for offenses under the Emergency Powers RegulationsFailing to wear a cloth mask or other face (mouth) covering whilst in public- 128 people Breach of curfew- 52 people Failing to practice social distancing- 7 people 1 Pastor was arrested for keeping a service

(church) open when required to be closed./// Violation of Quarantine A doctor is in mandatory quarantine and will be charged for violation of quarantine requirements after he recovers from COVID-19. The news broke last week Friday after surveillance footage of him entering a loans business downtown went viral.

NEEDED: Dr. Pharma Supplies Company have vacancies for a cashier, supervisor & a sales person.

Visit # 1 7th Avenue, Corozal Town for more information.

Shop Attendant to work in grocery store located in Las Flores, Belmopan. Call 6608936 for more information.

Construction workers at # 1588 Seashore Drive, Belize City. Interested persons may contact Wilson Hernandez at 670-8835/623-1654 for more information.

The Doctor identified as Marcus Rugama who is a Nicaraguan national was seen in public and not wearing a mask after he tested positive for COVID 19.

Vibes newscap was informed that he has no family in Belize and no one to assist him to conduct business and buy his necessities such as medication.

Rugama could face a fine of $5000.00 or 3 years imprisonment.///

LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICE: Notice is hereby given that Mohammed Imran is applying for a Beer Liquor License to be operated at “Sylhet Mini Grocery” located at # 3738 Kraal Road, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Jenny Yesenia Padron & Wallace Kurtis Usher are applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Z’s Corner Store” located at # 6412 Fern Lane, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Arcadia Carrillo

Internal Auditor Vacancy – Call for Applications

Sunrise: January 6, 1934 Sunset: August 17, 2020 Words from friends: --Teacha Carrillo, as she was known by most touched the lives of hundreds of Orange Walkeños and ours truly was not passed by. She and my grandmother were friends as well. Even as Teacha Carrillo lived in Chan Pine Ridge village she taught Infant I children in La Inmaculada Primary School in Orange Walk Town. We lived just beside the La Inmaculada Church and thus close to her classroom.

--I want to express my deepest condolences to the entire Carrillo family on the passing of a great woman. Teacher Arcadia Carrillo. She taught me in Infant 1 and has always been there for many, many, many persons throughout her years in education and outside the education sector.

Teacher Carrillo was also a long standing supporter of the PUP. --Rest in Peace Teacher Carrillo, May God grant you eternal rest and may you look over your people while you sit with the angels.

Sleep on Teacher Carrillo.

--HelpAge Orange Walk is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Mrs. Arcadia Carrillo. Mrs. Carrillo, more affectionately known as “Teacher Carrillo” will be remembered by us as a long standing and dedicated member of the HelpAge OW. She served with much enthusiasm and kindness toward our elderly.

She served her OW community in various capacities; in education, in church, in politics, and in unionism. She had a passion to serve and to be a good citizen.

On behalf of HELPAGE BELIZE, which consists of 11 branches throughout the country, we extend heartfelt condolences to her children, family and friends.

--The Party Leader John Briceño, and the entire PUP family extend their deepest sympathy to the Carrillo family on their loss. Teacher Carrillo was truly an icon in Orange Walk and her memories will endure. May she rest in peace and rise in eternal glory.

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) is a statutory organization established in 1996 as a Trust Fund under the Protected Areas Conservation Trust Act, No.15 of 1995. PACT contributes to the financing, sourced nationally and internationally, of the Belize National Protected Areas System - a system that is managed by Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Community Based Organizations. Further, PACT is under the oversight of the Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry, Environment, and Sustainable Development, and is governed by a Board of Directors (BoD).

Position Description: The Internal Auditor (IA) is responsible for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of PACT’s financial control, risk management and governance functions in a systematic and disciplined approach. The post will provide independent and objective assurance and risk analysis services to the BoD with the intention of maintaining accountability and improving operational efficiency, governance and management effectiveness within the PACT. The IA position is expected to provide high level technical advice regarding these matters on an on-going basis.

Professional Requirements: • • • • •

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting; Qualified as a Chartered Professional Accountant and certified by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants; At least five years related work experience in accounting; At least five years related work experience in risk-based auditing preferably with specific experience in financial risk and regulatory requirements reporting; Previous internal auditing experience.

Remuneration and Applications:

Compensation package commensurate with qualifications and experience within a designated salary scale.

The full job description is available at www.pactbelize.org. Interested persons should submit, no later than 12:00 p.m. Friday September 4th, 2020, an e-copy of their signed application letter, resume, and a list of two referees (names and contact information only) to hram@pactbelize.org and ed@pactbelize.org. The email is to be labelled as “Internal Auditor Vacancy – Application”.

PACT is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against protected characteristics (gender, age, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability).

PACT is not liable for any costs incurred by individuals in relation to their application.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

23 AUG

2020

SIX STEPS TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE ACCOUNTABLE First, we will ensure an Independent Public Accounts Committee. One that is strengthened so that substantive ministers cannot be members of the PAC. As well, all House Committee meetings, including PAC meetings will be open to the public and streamed live.

Second, the Integrity Commission must do its job effectively. To do so it should no longer be controlled by the Party in Government. Likewise, we will put in place a mechanism to ensure the financial independence of the Integrity Commission with a budget to be approved by the National Assembly. They need the tools and personnel to get the job done!

Third, the recent cases of misappropriation of government funds is a clear indication that we need a strong and independent office of the Auditor General.

• The next PUP Government will ensure that the Auditor General’s Office has unrestricted access to information and with full powers of investigation, including subpoena powers to ensure that requests for information and documentation are complied with expeditiously.

• The Auditor General’s office will be permitted to submit their budget directly to the National Assembly for approval.

• Most important, we will ensure that the Auditor General is allowed to present reports directly to the National Assembly and not only to the Prime Minister.

Fourth, the PUP will not only implement UNCAC, but we will also enact Campaign Finance Legislation.

• In the first 100 days, the new PUP government will direct the Office of the Attorney General to draft Campaign Finance legislation which will be subject to national consultations and review before a final bill is tabled and passed into law.

Fifth we must make the National Assembly function as the centerpiece of our government, complete with all requisite checks and balances.

• That means that the next PUP Government will ensure a minimum of one House Sitting per month.

And sixth now that Senator Aldo Salazar has finally released the findings of the Senate Select Committee on the hustle at the Department of Immigration.

• We demand follow up action including criminal investigation and prosecution as deemed necessary.

23 AUG

2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

15

CATION

EDUCATION EDUCATION POLICY SUMMARY Our cause is Education. Our will is strong. Our commitment deep.

Resumen De La Politica Educativa Nuestra causa es la educación. Nuestra voluntad es fuerte. Nuestro compromiso es profundo.

For Belize, Education must have a wider and deeper meaning. One which challenges us to ensure that all our people are provided with an equal opportunity to acquire the capacity and attitudes for full and active participation in the development of our nation.

Para Belice, la Educación debe tener un significado más amplio y profundo. Uno que nos desafía a garantizar que todo nuestro pueblo tenga la misma oportunidad de adquirir la capacidad y las actitudes para una participación plena y activa en el desarrollo de nuestra nación.

The education we provide today must therefore equip our people at any and every stage of their lives with the tools they need to create value out of that education. It must be relevant to the needs of our public and private sectors and it must train our people to be productive and engaged citizens of Belize and the global community.

Por lo tanto, la educación que ofrecemos hoy debe equipar a nuestro pueblo en todas y cada una de las etapas de su vida con las herramientas necesarias para crear valor a partir de esa educación. Debe ser relevante para las necesidades de nuestros sectores público y privado y debe capacitar a nuestra gente para ser ciudadanos productivos y comprometidos de Belice y de la comunidad mundial.

This philosophy and vision is grounded in the simple yet fundamental truth that the ultimate goal of education is improving quality of life. The more knowledge, information and skills you possess, the greater the likelihood of you leading a more productive and meaningful life and the more likely you are to contribute positively to the development and upliftment of your family, community and country.

Esta filosofía y visión se basa en la simple pero fundamental verdad de que el objetivo final de la educación es el mejorar la calidad de vida. Cuantos más conocimientos, información y habilidades usted posea, mayores serán las probabilidades de que usted lleve una vida más productiva y significativa, y de que contribuya positivamente al desarrollo y la elevación de su familia, su comunidad y su país.

Access, Equity and Quality are central to our Education Agenda from pre-school to University. All our people wherever they live and whatever their ethnicity, religious preference, political affiliation, gender, or economic status MUST have equal access to quality education.

MAKING EDUCATION WORK FOR BELIZE shall be a national priority for the next Government of the People’s United Party.

Government oversees the delivery of education by almost 5700 teachers in approximately 630 educational institutions to some

El acceso, la equidad y la calidad son fundamentales para nuestra agenda de educación desde el preescolar hasta la universidad. Toda nuestra gente, dondequiera que viva y cualquiera que sea su etnia, preferencia religiosa, afiliación política, género o estatus económico DEBE tener acceso igual a una educación de calidad.

HACER QUE LA EDUCACIÓN FUNCIONE PARA BELICE será una prioridad nacional para el próximo Gobierno de Partido Unido del Pueblo (PUP).

El Gobierno supervisa la enseñanza impartida por casi 5700 maestros en aproximadamente 630 inst i tuciones educat ivas a unos 102.000 estudiContinued on page 18

60 16

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THE BELIZE TIMES 2020

STANDARD BEARERS

2020

Cayo North: Michel Chebat

18 JAN

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THE BELIZE TIMES 2015

2020

17

Cayo West: Jorge ‘Milin’ Espat

ON THE MOVE Corozal Southwest: Ramiro Ramirez

Queen’s Square: Allan Pollard

Orange Walk East: Kevin Bernard

Mesopotamia: Candice Pitts

Stann Creek West: Rodwell Ferguson and Allan Pollard

EVERYBODY FI WIN!

planBelize

TODOS GANAMOS!

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Continued from page 15

102, 000 students. Over $266M was spent on education in 2019 amounting to some 25 percent of the Government’s total recurrent expenditure. Yet despite this level of expenditure, Government has presided over a striking deterioration in access to and quality of education at all levels in Belize over the past decade.

Our financing reform measures combined with

Our teachers are not being empowered to be bold, creative, critour focused commitment to eliminating waste ical thinkers who will passionately motivate, inspire and uplift our and inefficiency usfeel to undervalued fully finance students.

Too many ofwill our allow teachers andour unapprePlan of Action for 2020 to 2025: ciated. We must do everything we can to attract the best and the brightest into the teaching profession.

Free Education from Pre-School to on student A PUP1.administration will be student centred and focus learning outcomes not on administrative control or teacher licenses.

Junior College 2. Education UniversalPolicy Pre-School Education The PUP will focus on the following key areas: 1. Education Financing Reform 3. Establish A Teacher and Learning 2. Early Childhood Education and Development Institute 3. Leadership, Administration and Teacher Training 4. 100% Trained Teachers 4. Special Education 4 toEducation 4th Laptop Computer Program 5. 5.

Higher and Development 6. 6.

Technical and Vocational Education Fair Access $5m High Education Fund 7. Technology: Transforming Belize Equal $3m Rural Education 8. 7.

Reform TheOpportunity Ministry of Education

Grant Fund Our financing reform measures combined with our focused com8. to National Healthy Start Feedingwill allow us to fully mitment eliminating waste and inefficiency finance our Plan of Action for 2020 to 2025: Program

Free Textbook/e-Book 1. 9.

Free Education from Pre-SchoolProgram to Junior College 2. Universal Pre-School Education Expansion To High School 3. Establish A Teacher and Learning Institute Expansion of African and Mayan 4. 10.

100% Trained Teachers 5. 4 toHistory 4th Laptop Computer Program Program 6. Fair Access $5m High Education Fund Civics Education At All Levels Grant Fund 7. 11.

Equal Opportunity $3m Rural Education 8. National Healthy Start Feeding Program 9. Free Textbook/e-Book Program Expansion To High School The of a ofPUP government education is to 10. goal Expansion African and MayaninHistory Program efficiently allocate At theAllnecessary resources with 11. Civics Education Levels appropriate incentive mechanisms to align and streamline thegovernment roles and objectives all keyallocate The goal of a PUP in education is toofefficiently stakeholdersstudents,with teachers, parents, management, the necessary resources appropriate incentive mechanisms to communities and governmentwith a view to not align and streamline the roles and objectives of all keyonly stakeholddeliver quality education butmanagement, also enhance overall ersstudents, teachers, parents, communities and student learning results not only in governmentwith a using view tomeasurable not only deliver quality education but increased enrolment but more importantly in clear, also enhance overall student learning using measurable results not improved student learningbut outcomes. only in increased enrolment more importantly in clear, improved student learning outcomes.

The next PUP government will form a team of creative thinkers are bold, passionate, smart thinkers and who The next PUPwho government will form a team of creative progressive to reform and advance our Education are bold, passionate, smart and progressive to reformPolicy and advance Agenda.

ThisPolicy team Agenda. will comeThis from the will public andfrom private our Education team come the public sectors assectors well asas our social sector partners. and private well as our social sector partners.

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2020

antes. En 2019 se gastaron más de 266 millones de dólares en educación, lo que equivale al 25 por ciento del total de los gastos recurrentes del Gobierno. Sin embargo, a pesar de este nivel de gastos, el Gobierno ha presidido un deterioro notable del acceso a la educación y de la calidad de ésta en todos los niveles en Belice durante el último decenio.

Nuestros maestros no están siendo capacitados para ser pensadores au-

Nuestras medidas dequemotivarán, reforma inspirarán de la financiación, daces, creativos y críticos y animarán apasionadamente a nuestros de nuestros maestros sienten combinadas con estudiantes. nuestro Demasiados compromiso, centrado ense la subvalorados y poco apreciados.

Debemos hacer todo lo posible para eliminación del despilfarro y la ineficiencia, nosatraer a los mejores y más brillantes a la profesión docente.Plan de Acción permitirán financiar plenamente nuestro para 2020-2025:

La administración del PUP estará centrada en el estudiante y se centrará en los resultados del aprendizaje del estudiante y no en el control administrativo ni licencias de los maestros.desde el preescolar hasta 1.lasEducación gratuita

junior college

La Política de Educación del PUP se centrará en las siguientes áreas clave: 2. Educación 1. Reforma depreescolar la financiación universal de la educación 2. Educación y desarrollo de la primera infancia 3. Establecer un instituto docente y de aprendizaje 3. Liderazgo, Administración y Formación del profesorado 4. Maestros 100% capacitados 4. EducaciónalEspecial 5.

Educación Superior y Desarrollo 5. Programa de ordenador portátil (laptop) de 4 al 6. Enseñanza técnica y profesional 4th 7. Tecnología: transformación de belice 8. Reforma Ministerio de Educación 6. Fondo de del préstamos para la educación superior de

5 millones Nuestras medidas de de dólares reforma de la financiación, combinadas con nuestro compromiso, centrado en la eliminación del despilfarro y la ineficiencia, nos 7. Fondo de subsidio para la educación rural de 3 permitirán financiar plenamente nuestro Plan de Acción para 2020-2025:

millones de dólares para la igualdad de oportunidades 1. Educación gratuita desde el preescolar hasta junior college 2. Educación preescolarde universal 8. Programa nacional alimentación para un 3. Establecer un instituto docente y de aprendizaje comienzo saludable 4. Maestros al 100% capacitados 5.

Programa de portátil (laptop)de de 4 al 4th 9. Expansión delordenador programa de libros texto/e6. Fondo de préstamos para la educación superior de 5 millones de librosgratuitos a la escuela secundaria dólares 7. Fondo de subsidio para la educación rural de 3 millonesyde dólares 10. Expansión del programa de historia Africana para la igualdad de oportunidades Maya 8. Programa nacional de alimentación para un comienzo saludable 11. Educación en todos los de niveles 9. Expansióncívica del programa de libros texto/elibrosgratuitos a la escuela secundaria 10. Expansión del programa de historia Africana y Maya 11. Educación cívica en todos los niveles

El objetivo de un gobierno del PUP en materia de educación objetivo deeficientemente un gobierno del PUP en materia de educación es asignar es Elasignar los recursos necesarios con eficientemente los recursos necesarios con mecanismos de incentivos, adecuados mecanismos de incentivos, adecuados para alinear y para alinearlas y racionalizar de las todas las partes racionalizar funcioneslasy funciones objetivosy objetivos de todas partes claves interesadas -estudiantes, maestros, padres, administradores, claves interesadas -estudiantes, maestros, padres, comunidades y gobiernocon miras,yno sólo para impartir una educación administradores, comunidades gobiernocon miras, no sólo de calidad, sino también a mejorar el aprendizaje general de los estudiantes para impartir una educación de calidad, sino también a utilizando resultados mensurables no sólo en el aumento de la matricumejorar el aprendizaje general de los estudiantes utilizando lación, sino mensurables lo que es más importante, unos de de aprendizaje resultados no sólo enen elresultados aumento la claramente mejorados. matriculación, sino lo que es más importante, en unos resultados de aprendizaje claramente mejorados..

El próximo gobierno del PUP formará un equipo de pensadores creatiaudaces,gobierno apasionados, y progresistas para reformar y El vos próximo delinteligentes PUP formará un equipo de avanzar nuestra Agenda de Política Educativa.

Este equipo vendrá de los pensadores creativos audaces, apasionados, inteligentes y sectores público progresistas para reformar y avanzar nuestra Agenda de y privado, así comoEste los interlocutores sociales.

Política Educativa. equipo vendrá de los sectores público

y privado, así como los interlocutores sociales.

Con más de 100.000 estudiantes inscritos en nuestro sistema educativo desde preescolar la universidad, tenemos una oportunidad Con máselde 100.000hasta estudiantes inscritos en nuestro sistemaúnica With over 100,000 students enrolled in our system from educativo para dar forma al futuro, cambiar el futuro, construir el futuro.

With over 100,000 students enrolled ineducation our education desde el preescolar hasta la universidad, tenemos

pre-school to university, we to have a uniquewe opportunity to shape the system from pre-school university, have a unique future, change to theshape future, build the change future. the future, build opportunity the future, WE MUST NOT LOSE THIS OPPORTUNITY! the future.

WE MUST NOT WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITY! WE MUST NOT LOSE THIS OPPORTUNITY! WE MUST MAKE WORK FOR BELIZE! WE MUST NOTEDUCATION WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITY! THE PUP WILL MAKE EDUCATION WORK FOR BELIZE! WE MUST MAKE EDUCATION WORK FOR BELIZE! THE PUP WILL MAKE EDUCATION WORK FOR BELIZE!

una oportunidad única para dar forma al futuro, cambiar el ¡NO DEBEMOS ESTA OPORTUNIDAD! futuro, construir PERDER el futuro. ¡NO DEBEMOS DESPERDICIAR ESTA OPORTUNIDAD!

¡NO DEBEMOS PERDER ESTA OPORTUNIDAD! ¡DEBEMOS HACER QUE LA EDUCACIÓN FUNCIONE PARA BELICE! ¡NO DEBEMOS DESPERDICIAR ESTA OPORTUNIDAD! ¡EL PUP HARÁ QUE LA EDUCACIÓN FUNCIONE PARA BELICE!

¡DEBEMOS HACER QUE LA EDUCACIÓN FUNCIONE PARA BELICE! ¡EL PUP HARÁ QUE LA EDUCACIÓN FUNCIONE PARA BELICE!

TODOS FI WIN! BLU GANAMOS! EVERYBODY

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2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

19

20 PADDLELESS TO FACE THE STORMS AHEAD

THE BELIZE TIMES

By Senator Elizabeth Bennett “Noting that the global spread of COVID-19 this year has sparked ‘the worst humanitarian crisis since World War Two’, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley pointed to deepening crises, more frequent natural disasters and changing weather patterns, saying “we’re already facing a perfect storm”. I open this article with a heavy heart as I think about our beloved country, Belize, and the storms that lies ahead of us as a nation.

As a people, we have to be smart to navigate this existing deadly COVID-19 storm that has now registered a rocking 500 plus cases in little more than a week. Then there is also the probability of terrible hurricanes that might hit our shores, and cer-

tainly the challenge of food scarcity. The United Nations had sounded the alarm since April of this year right on the heels of COVID-19. So how can we really prepare for all these major life stressors in the context of the troubled almost non-existing social aid system?

What we should have seen established, even if it just March of this year, from all the loans borrowed over the past six months, are the following five (5) governmental initiatives that would have been for the benefit of the people in this time of pending food insecurity: 1. SELF-SUFFICIENT ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM - Government should have implemented creative programs for families from the Pantry and Boost programs to transition – where possible – the young and strong especially - into a state of self-dependence.

GOB should have started by providing needed families with food, but then slowly identify solutions to empower families to be self-sufficient by evaluating the programs. This is important, because self-sufficiency allows for a certain food income because relying on donations on a long term basis does not always guarantee a fresh healthy supply of food nor does it guarantee that a family will always be on the pantry list.

2. BIRTH CONTROL PROGRAM - In looking back to March and looking ahead to when a COVID-19 vaccine is birthed, many babies will be born December of this year and into the first quarter of next year. Many online psychological journal articles are speaking

“corruption will be with us always” Dean Barrow, February 2019

to the natural ways to relieve stress and one of the activities high on the list is sexual intercourse.

The bread winner child-bearing age groups are out of a job and stuck at home so relieving stress thru sex become a main stream activity and at times for the poor with no access to birth-control methods which will result in a baby boom effect. Many people are not educated on reproduction or do not have access to contraceptives. MOH needs to act swiftly to increase nation-wide access to contraceptives which will allow for family planning and economic freedom in the future whatever the days ahead have in store.

3.

ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC EDUCATION - I recall reading a very interesting article on Facebook from a Belizean educator Assistant Professor Alberto Luis August, a former colleague in the then University of Belize Faculty and Staff Association (UBFSA), now working in Malaysia; in which he clearly outlines how if only GOB took $2M from that phase 2 Caracol Road project that EVERY single student AND teacher in Belize could get a laptop and still had money to pay for teachers to get training from the $2M! Education is the best weapon against poverty and hunger. It is especially powerful in underdeveloped countries like our beloved country Belize. Education means better opportunity and more access to income and food. Sadly, even though Belize has food-for-education programs where primary school students are given free food for coming to school, it does not happen throughout the country nor at the high school level.

4.

URBAN FARMING - “Almost one-quarter of undernourished people live in an urban environment.

Recently, there has been a big push

23 AUG

2020

for urban farming. Urban farming empowers families to gain control over their own food source.” Zachary Patterson. I am certain, if we were conducting research in our urban communities, this statement would apply to Belize as well.

5.

COMMUNITY GARDENS - If we had access to grants to develop community gardens in every single community in Belize, we would not be experiencing the crime and violence we are presently experiencing today. Food insecurity is characterized by households in which one or more members do not have adequate access to essential nutrients due to a lack of money. With the high unemployment before and now due to COVID-19, this initiative would be very helpful in meeting a community’s nutritional needs. If food insecurity is a real issue in a developed country like Canada, then it is also very, very real in Belize.

By starting a sustainable gardening program in our community, we hinder the existence of, or potential for, food insecurity in our direct area. In addition, a community garden would provide our youths with an alternative, beyond nutrition. Hours spent tilling the soil compared to hours on Facebook or watching TV, provides physical activities and establishes an expectation for what they will reap. In addition, a sense of community is created through a community garden project.

My solemn advice to each community leader is to galvanize and start a community garden and watch how your community will transform beautifully before your eyes. DO NOT wait on GOB, as they continue to fail us in so many ways! Make your own paddle for the storms ahead!

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THE BELIZE TIMES

2020

PUP Standard Bearers

Appealing to their Constituents Excerpts of FB Posts

Ramon “Monchi” Cervantes, Orange Walk North As we may know by now, COVID-19 cases in the Orange Walk District have been increasing. We want to take the time out to thank all our frontline workers who risk their lives for others! We urge that you protect yourself and loved ones by: 1. Washing your hands 2. Practicing social distancing 3. Wearing a mask 4. Seeking medical advice at 0-800-MOH-CARE (0-800-664-2273) hotline.

Together we are strong! Together we fight! Together we can beat it!

Jorge ‘Milin’ Espat, Cayo West ¡TU VOTO TIENE PODER! We will WIN! We will SERVE! #2020AÑODELCAMBIO

O u r ground work in Cayo West has continued since the convention day last year. We have been working very hard to

secure victory.

As your candidate I want to assure you something: You are no longer without a leader!

We are here to uplift Cayo West again! I am not like the current Cayo West area representative who lied and abandoned you. We will work tirelessly to ensure that everyone is included in our plan to transform this country back into a productive nation.

I want to thank you all for welcoming us into your homes. The reception has been very good and we have heard the loud cry for change.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we have had to adapt new measures to keep you and your family safe as we visit you. So far we have been able to visit Arenal, Calla Creek, Corozalito and Succotz Villages. We have also put tireless efforts into Benque. There is a lot of work ahead amidst the pandemic which has instilled much uncertainty but we will do our every possible effort to reach every single person in Cayo West and ensure a victory on Election Day. We want you to know that WE HAVE LISTENED and we will Deliver! The sentiment in every household as we do the house to house campaign in Cayo West is the same: We need a change. The people are fed up with the false promises and abandonment. The neglect is evident! Election after election, the same story! Our country is headed in the wrong direction, and only we the people can change that!

Get registered to vote. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE! DO NOT BE AFRAID! #RISE #VOTE #WINSe aproximan las elecciones generales, un momento decisivo y crítico para Belize. Cayo Oeste, una de las áreas más abandonadas aun así teniendo un Ministro con el ministerio más fuerte en economía. Pero sí, Cayo Oeste tiene mucho potencial, solo falta tener un buen representante que nos brinde la representación necesaria para abogar por un mejoramiento.

MILIN is committed to making it possible. He is a man of integrity and serious in making things happen. √We will WIN! √ We will SERVE! Please remain safe. Follow the recommendations given by health authorities and protect your family and Community. We are optimistic about a brighter day for Belize. God bless you all!

Kevin Bernard, Orange Walk East

The OW East PUP Standard Bearer along with his team with support of his comittee members, UWG, the business community has put together Food Packages that will be distributed to all 190 Families of Santa Martha Village.

As stated by our leader of the east, Mayor Kevin Bernard, Quote “we will help every family in that village with a food package. No matter if they are PUP, UDP or don’t vote. I believe in equal and fair distribution; we will leave no one behind.”

On behalf of the PUP East Standard Bearer, we want to thank the team and members of the OW East Executive, the business community, UWG and close friends of the Mayor who have made this possible.

The Political Chairman of Santa Martha will ensure every family receives a package later today.

SEPTEMBER CELEBRATIONS I can definitely guarantee that this September there will be NO Parade and No Block Party. All events will be celebrated virtually for the safety of our wider citizenry. Let’s be responsible and fight this pandemic together. Please follow all protocols and please let’s stop the discrimination and hate towards our fellow Belizeans. COVID19 knows no boundaries, neither race, religion nor creed.

So I implore on all Belizeans countrywide, to brace this pandemic by doing what is right. Stop the contrabanding, Obey the law, and the rules and regulations. Let’s protect each other.

Oscar Mira, Belmopan BDF Soldiers and Doctor infected by Covid.

Yesterday we heard the news that five BDF Soldiers including a BDF Doctor, tested positive for COVID 19. The Belize Defense Force holds a special place in my heart. I am saddened by the news and urge the BDF to do all in its power to support these Soldiers in these trying times. I express my solidarity with the Soldiers and wish each and every one of them a speedy recovery. Stay safe my brothers and sisters. Stay safe. Shoulder to Shoulder! …Ret. Maj. Oscar Mira It is in our hands to control, contain and defeat this virus if we follow simple but effective measures. Avoid unnecessary travel. Practice social distancing. Wash hands regularly with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap is not available. And of course, wear your mask but wear it properly. Let’s all do our part and support our authorities in doing theirs. Be safe and be well./// I want to thank the good people in our Party who have donated frames for our Billboards as well as printing of the banners themselves. We appreciate all donations and I do think It looks good! Thank you for contributing to the change we so desperately need.

Prosperity and Security for All! #TeamMira #PlanBelize #Blu Andre Perez, Belize Rural South The UDP government has signed a $10 Million USD agreement for phase 2 of the Caracol Road Project and yet Ambergris Caye, with a population of more than 20,000 residents STILL can’t get its HOSPITAL?! How long has Heredia known that he is lying to the face of the people? If Dean Barrow had not said it LIVE on the media the residents of San Pedro and Caye Caulker would have NEVER found out.

The lies are endless and the people have had enough.

We will be holding you accountable, your time is up.

For years Heredia has promised the residents of San Pedro Town and Caye Caulker a piece of land. Who is actually living on this promise land?

With electricity and running water?

For over 12 years, both islands have not received any housing projects. No opportunity to families so they can stop renting and own their homes.

Now we are in a pandemic and our residents continue to suffer. One of the major problems is housing. Residents of our islands had no option but leave their rented apartments because of losing their jobs and income.

Our people deserve better. Our people deserve a housing project that is affordable and one that works for ALL. Our people deserve land with the necessary utilities available not unfilled mangrove/swamp without any electricity or water.

Heredia your chance to deliver us a housing project is gone. The people are taking your lee piece a land but they will vote you OUT. Many of our residents remain without jobs while others are on half salary. Getting children back to school has been one of the greatest struggles that parents face as the beginning of school year approaches. Both islands are in desperate need of more classrooms and an affordable education. The UDP under Heredia has been promising both islands that more classroom will come, more schools will be opened and 17 years later we are still waiting.

Continued on page 22

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23 AUG

2020

Continued from page 21 There will be no more waiting as his time is coming to an end in 2020. #VICTORYWITHANDRE #WEDESERVEBETTER Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Fort George

Despite the uncertainty of schools reopening due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fort George constituency carried through with a commitment towards helping with Back to School efforts. In addition to the daily rounds and reaching out to Fort George residents, they selected lucky winners for four weeks to receive a Back to School assistance package. All that was needed as to follow the instructions. Have a great day!

Winners can be found on the Fort George Pup Facebook page.

Congrats to our last four raffle winners: Angel Allen | Carilee Faber | Nicole Avilez | Mike Stands Alone (Michael Cus) Stay tuned for more activities in the days ahead.

Remember to wash your hands, practice social distancing, and stay safe!

Ramiro Ramirez, Corozal Southwest

In San Narciso, although it was a rainy day, we still completed our task of cleaning our community police station. Sadly, it had been abandoned for several years and our village youth group today made and amazing job! This is one out of many projects sponsored by Mr. Ramiro Ramirez. Together we will bring progress to the forgotten villages of Corozal Southwest.

Also, I want to give thanks to the Libertad PUP Committee for a cleaning up Campaign that was done today at Libertad Village to minimize the risk of Dengue and malaria in the village.Keeping Beautiful Corozal South west and the rest of Belize.

El unico que representa y siempre esta con la gente de Corozal Southwest es, Ramiro Ramirez. Bajo un Gobierno del PUP y Ramiro Ramirez, tendremos la representacion que merece nuestra gente de Corozal South-West. #planBelize #RamiroForCorozalSouthWest #PUPfiAllaWe Hon. Francis Fonseca, Freetown

UDP CORRUPTION! UNDER THE UDP: Elected PUP Area Representatives DO NOT have access to Land, Education assistance, Health assistance, Pantry and Boost assistance, Unemployment assistance, Food assistance, Housing assistance or Infrastructure Development assistance to provide for the people and communities that they represent and were duly elected to serve.

BUT UNELECTED UDP STANDARD BEARERS have full access to and authority over Land and taxpayers money to use in their campaigns. Illegally and unethically they go around from house to house offering voters land and government $ to be deposited into your personal bank account. THIS CORRUPTION MUST END! REJECT THE UDP! VOTE THEM OUT! Oscar Arnold, Collet

My wonderful people of Collet as the number for Covid-19 continues to rise please adhere to the rules wear your mask wash hands regularly maintain social distancing stay at home and most of all pray to the good Lord for protection for our families and our country Belize. Be safe my people.

We donated masks and thermometers to schools in the Collet area. This will aid with their preparations to reopen for the new school year. I want to say thank you to principals Mrs. Góngora and Ms. Makhweli form Gwen Lizaraga H.S. And Unity Presbyterian Primary School. #maskup As we celebrate another crop of graduates beginning another chapter in their young lives, I can’t help but realize that this is why I aspire to be a representative of the people.

These young women and men are our future, we must ensure we build a country they can be proud of and one that they can continue to mould into the Belize we all deserve. #NHSclass2020. The Strength of our PUP Collet Women #TeamPolo// Candice Pitts, Mesopotamia Here, showing gratitude to God for the start of a new week!

Encouraging everyone to wear their masks and to follow the other health protocols to fight against the spread of COVID-19. Dr Candice Pitts, the only Choice for Mesopotamia

2020!

A leader who goes from helping to draft policies to better our lives and then addressing the nation, to a leader who goes house-to-house checking on her residents, listening, recording their concerns, and encouraging them to wear their masks, follow other health protocols, and to look after themselves and each other.

The Choice is clear!

Also encouraging everyone to #moveforward with #candicepitts #mesopotamiaschoice2020 Also, purchasing ingredients and supplies and cooking food every day is a sacrifice for my team, but it is a sacrifice we make to help ensure residents of Mesopotamia most in need can have at least one hot meal per day.

As we know, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Belize has increased over the past two weeks from 20 to now 456 and counting. People are still jobless and without resources, and now they have to once again lock themselves in their homes for their own safety.

There are very uncertain times ahead, and food will always be a necessity.

At the kitchen, we will offer food for as long as we possibly can and for as long as it is safe for my team to do. We first and foremost thank the ladies at the kitchen for their commitment and hard work. We also thank Maja Loyd Jones and Neri Briceño for their kind donation to the kitchen this week.

We advise everyone to kindly follow all the health protocols and to look after themselves and each other. We are all one human family, and we need each other.

Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, Stann Creek West The lands department is in high gear trying to process lands documents before election that is an old tactic that does not work when the people want you out. It is time for the UDP to go. They claim they are limiting the amount of staff by sending home staff on one week rotation but bringing stalwarts from out district to do the work.// The Government of Belize had 12 years to improve your quality of life, they had 600 million dollars from the oil revenues, 500 million Petro Caribe funding. If they had done the right thing by creating small industries, creating new markets for our products we would not have being in the position we are in today in the south. I want you to show me one project in Stann Creek West that was funded by the Petro Caribe initiative absolutely nothing.

You go to the west of the country and central Belize you see the development but again only in road and roundabouts infrastructure nothing for the improvement of the human capital. The human element should be number one in any country. They bragged about subsidy of 300.00 dollars they assisted to first and second form students in the south. They had enough to make education free from pre-school to sixth form.

I witness parents struggling to give their kids an education. I am quite aware because I assisted as much as I could, with the limited resources, I reach out as much as I can.

There are those who say i don’t do enough but put your self in my shoe representing all the villages and communities 26 of them. Only the ignorant would cost aspersions and make negative comments. The election is now on the horizon and the opposite side is going around offering roofing, lumber and other building materials.

Where was the ministry of housing over the last 12 years? Residents of Stann Creek West take what you can get and vote P.U.P. The next government will be PUP working for you and we cannot afford to be in opposition in Stann Creek West.

As an opposition member I am given only $ 7000.00 dollars per month if you divided that by 9000 that you get 0.78 cents per voter dividing Forth George $ 7000.00 dollars by 1650 voters you get you get $ 4.24 per voter.

My opponents keep telling the voters I get $7000.00 per month and they are not getting their share. As I visit the villages I meet very sensible voters who do the maths themselves and realize it does make any sense The economy is ruined by this pandemic and people are really in need. I wish I could address all their needs. I do the best I can but I have grave limitation. The Prime Minister is now talking about an economic plan when his time is up.

He had 12 years to boost this economy and he did nothing as the pandemic came the country is broke. Belizeans decision 2020 is yours.

Dolores Balderamos García, Belize Rural Central Dear residents and voters of Belize Rural Central. These are very difficult times indeed, and our wellbeing and good health must come first. I encourage everyone to stay safe by limiting our socializing, wearing our masks properly, and washing/ sanitizing our hands regularly!! We all have to do our part to reduce and then defeat the virus. Love, prayers and best wishes to all.

Hon. Julius Espat, Cayo South This week we had a free haircut day for kids in our community, these are some of the kids that came out to get their haircut. A big thanks to Lalo’s Barbershop, and our area representative the Hon. Julius Espat for his support in making this possible.

Continued on page 23

23 AUG

2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

23

Continued from page 22

Allan Pollard, Queen’s Square

Everyday the numbers of positive Covid-19 cases in Belize are increasing. Unfortunately, our senior citizens are at the greatest risk during this global pandemic.

Here’s a special recognition to all the elderly residents of Queen Square. I pray that you all remain safe and healthy during this uncertain time.

I urge everyone to protect our golden citizens by wearing your masks properly in order to help prevent the continued community spread that we are facing. #planBelize #AllanPollardforQueenSquare #ProtecttheElderly #WearyourMasksProperly Louis Zabaneh, Dangriga

not help you. Selling your vote, does not uplift you. We must stand together and fight against corruption in every aspect. We must stand up for what is right and fair.

My people of Cayo Northeast, I am asking for your continued support and for the opportunity to make an actual change in our constituency once we are in Government. We have been forgotten under this administration and they have punished us.

We the representatives must serve you and push your interests forward. Only then we will be able to build a Belize that works for everyone.

Todos ganamos con Landy! We all win with Landy! #VoteBlu #planBelize #planificarBelize Hon. Mike Espat, Toledo East

Joseph Guerrero in support of Dr. Zabaneh: So Far Hon Frank “pawpa” Mena quiet on the violence against Garinagu in Honduras. Dr Louis Zabaneh gets kudos for speaking up!

Dr Louis Zabaneh, great big kudos to you. Thank you for shedding light on the violence occurring in Honduras against indigenous Garifuna.

Respect!

Will you also urge your political party to take a progressive stance on the rights of indigenous people in Belize?

How wonderful it would be if Belize political parties stop making light of the rights of indigenous people in Belize. Saying the preceding does not mean you do not deserve recognition for talking about the violence against Garifuna in Honduras. Thank you!

Marconi Leal, Belize Rural North

Michel Chebat, Cayo North

Micho Chebat understands and supports the dignity and rights of women. It was a pleasure today to once again assist in the Mary’s Open Doors Program by donating a much needed stove. We applaud the dedicated team at Mary’s Open Doors for their continued service to the community.

Orlando Habet, Cayo NorthEast Hablemos, Let’s Talk!

I thank Javier and Marisa for inviting me.

We talked about ongoing illegal voter registration and transfers from Unitedville, Teakettle, Armenia and Hopkins. Falling prey to bribery, does

The residents of BRN had the opportunity to meet and speak with me as we went house to house in the community to hear the concerns of the people and share their mandate.

Edmond Castro is all about himself! Yet poor people are getting charged for not wearing a Mask! This man has no shame! Wake up people of Belize Rural North! This man has failed in every way possible! He does not deserve to be a representative no more! Vote for a change! VOTE Marconi Leal ♥PUP The PUP will win the next General Election! Change is coming to BRN! “Powered by the People! The Machinery is certainly fueling up! The BRN Team is ready to work and ready to serve BRN! There is lots of of work to be done but the journey continues! CHANGE is NEEDED! Ed. Note: Please be mindful that these are excerpts. For other pictures, comment, releases, and posts of our PUP leaders visit, LIKE and FOLLOW their FB profiles and pages. Also be a fan of the Whip Show at 7:15 on Vibes FBLive, Cable, and Radio.

24

THE BELIZE TIMES

THINK ABOUT IT

ANGELA WILTSHIRE – “TEST ME” It was painful watching a woman who knows pain appear on national television hurt, anguished, emotional and frustrated.

Miss Angela Wiltshire is a public officer working at the Scenes of Crime Unit.

She says one of her co-workers has tested positive for the infectious and deadly coronavirus now surging through our country.

For Angela, it’s a nightmare. She told Channel 5 News she is a diabetic.

She needs to know if she is infected because she came into contact with the co-worker.

She reported her situation to her supervisor. She was given certain advice and the hotline numbers to call the Ministry of Health. She called a whopping 15 times, and 15 times she got no answer.

If she had called the White House in Washington, U.S.A. she would have gotten an answer. She would probably be told Black Lives Don’t Matter, but at least she would have gotten an answer.

Angela told Channel 5 that she visited Cleopatra White Health Clinic and explained her situation but was informed that because she had no symptoms the policy was she was not qualified for a Covid test. Imagine that! If a person has the symptoms, by then they have the virus. They don’t need a test, they need treatment.

We wish to criticize this foolish, short- sighted policy.

The government is doing this to Belizeans because they have a limited amount of test material. The government is broke and cannot buy equipment, ventilators and test material. They have gotten gifts and loans to the tune of millions of dollars. They want to use the money to bribe voters in the upcoming general elections. This is rotten and low-down.

Angela Wiltshire lost her beloved son to gun violence. She is a hard working public officer. She came into contact with a co-worker who later tested positive for the deadly virus. Channel 5 described her as furious over the scornful treatment she is getting from the Ministry of Health.

For God’s sake why can’t she be tested?

And let us also note that the four persons who have died from Covid in Belize all were begging to be tested and the government policy was no symptoms, no test.

How many persons have to die?

SATAN TARGETS A PASTOR A Pastor was ministering to sixteen of his followers over the weekend. The devil entered some police officers who saw an opportunity to have their names entered on the list of police seeking rewards for how much arrests can be made.

The new corona virus law had just been changed over the weekend to respond to the frightening surge in Covid infections in Belize. The law reduced the number of worshippers that can attend church to a mere ten persons. The innocent Pastor and his congregation not aware of the overnight change of law were thus humiliated by the devil and his satanic forces.

We hope the court will throw out the charge against the Pastor. Changing the law over the weekend is sneaky. It is an ambush that cries shame on the lawmakers who have been secretly landing rich people planes on San Pedro bringing the virus from infected USA. CRAZY QUARANTINE The buildings being used by the government to quarantine persons for fourteen days is just as shameful as can be. There are no individual quarters, all persons are in open spaces breathing up on each other. So that if a person is in quarantine with the virus, others are being exposed to being infected.

This is the unhealthy situation at the medical building in Orange Walk and the ITVET in Corozal.

How much slacker and negligent can the government be.

Being broke is one thing. Putting persons at risk of getting infected is another.

THANK GOODNESS Thank goodness Johnny Briceno saw through Barrow and his focus on optics rather than protecting Belizeans. Johnny said goodbye to the Barrow one-man oversight committee.

SALDIVAR’S SAGA Saldivar is obviously the target of some high ranking official in the Police and the government.

You won’t believe this, but for a petty offence which the maximum penalty is two hundred dollars, a squadron of military looking officers in military uniforms and big rifle guns, jumped over a fence at a place where Arthur and other adults and children were. The militarized police committed this trespass and improper act in order to arrest Arthur for a minor matter when they could have sent a Summons.

The allegation was that Arthur had posted a few words on Facebook that UDP politicians were allowing people to cross the border, exposing Belizeans to

23 AUG

2020

Covid-19.

This jump over fence arrest would be the first in a series of targeted police action against Arthur Saldivar. Within weeks he was again arrested for going to the Belmopan Police Station with his mask not properly on. Then, he was arrested for visiting the home of land activist Nigel Petillo on a Sunday during curfew.

And then there is the sensational arrest and search of a residence filmed live by Plus TV in which Arthur was charged for guns and ammunition which are duly licensed to his brother and one gun which belongs to him which was always licensed in his name.

And the new bombshell exploded last Friday in the Belmopan Court. When Arthur appeared for his trial, he was met by a new Magistrate and a new Prosecutor. The established Magistrate in front of whom trial had begun was in Belmopan, but the trial was shifted to a person who is now a Magistrate but who was previously employed at the GST tax office for a decade.

The new a prosecutor is also a former UDP City Councilor who has recently been put in charge of all Magistrate Court Trials.

Why would she want to single out a regular gun trial in Belmopan when there are far more important matters to deal with?

There is more to this than what it seems.

In the words of the great Shakespeare. There is something rotten in the state of Denmark.

23 AUG

2020

25

THE BELIZE TIMES

ILLEGAL TRANSFERS AND REGISTRATIONS: CAYO NORTHEAST The Musketeer Brigade Continues; All for the UDP and the UDP serving themselves

Posted by Hon. Landy Habet, Cayo Northeast Representative August 18 UPDATE: Elvin Penner(yes the passport EP) is still illegally transferring and registering voters from Cayo South. They will continue to tip the scales in their favor, if they are not stopped. They are willing to break laws to win this election. They are willing to let anyone vote as long as it serves their agenda.

We cannot let corrupt individuals do as they please; they are not above the law. We cannot let corrupt people determine who represents Cayo Northeast’s interests. With them driving the system, they will not let anyone speak against them.

We live in a democracy, yet the UDP bribe and threaten people for a vote.

We live in a democracy, yet the UDP have an agenda that benefits them and their families.

We live in a democracy, yet Belizeans are denied basic rights because of their status and political affiliations.

We live in a democracy, yet the UDP victimize and attack you for voicing genuine concerns.

The UDP are a threat to our democracy. Do not let them manipulate you in this upcoming election. We must stand firmly against them. Dehn got to go!

The Three Musketeers of Illegal Registrations August 15 - Illegal registrations and transfers are still ongoing. We got reports that none other than Alfonso Cruz, joined by Mike Juan and Elvin Penner were caught registering people using #86 Burns Avenue as a place of residence. These voters were from Camalote and some were also registered in Esperanza Village.

This is blatant disregard for voters’ rights. They will try to steal this election. They will try to ensure only their agenda is served. They must be stopped.

Elvin Penner and Alfonso Cruz were involved in the Passport scandal involving a Korean national Won Hong Kim who was in jail at the time. They sold Belizean citizenship to a known criminal. As this scandal is pending extreme scrutiny and investigation, they will be exposed. They will continue their efforts to sweep this under the rug. Penner is not in office and has no right to be registering voters.

We must continue to fight this outright act of corruption. We must come together to call them out. We must come together to stop them because their interests are their own. We cannot allow outside voters to determine who represents you. It’s a mockery of our system and a threat to our democracy. We stand with the people and we stand for what is fair and just.

From the Eulogy for

Godwin Alexander Flowers 1934 - 2020

Godwin Alexander Flowers Papa, Tuy, Daddy, Grandpa was born to Eunice Smith and Rowland Flowers Sr. in the village of Rancho Dolores (Spanish Creek) on 26th March, 1934. He was the oldest child for both parents who subsequently went on to lead separate lives.

In his early years Mr. Flowers moved around seeking employment.

He got his first job as a driver at the Public Works Department near the International Airport. He was later transfered to the Public Works in the recently opened Belmopan, so he decided to move to Camalote.

On his move to Camalote he met the mother of his oldest child and beautiful daughter Curleen Flowers.

The relationship did not work out as planned so they parted ways. It was then that he met his now lovely wife Hadie who is more widely known as Ms. Nena. Godwin could not resist this beautiful charm so they got engaged. They were engaged for two years before they made it official on the 26th September 1964. They then move to Belize City and started their family. This union is responsible for five beautiful children, Sharon, Desiree, Godwin jr., Bridget and Michelle. A few years later the family moved back to Camalote, where they have lived in this big blue house and landmark better known as the PUP house.

Mr. Godwin was an avid sports fan, following football, cricket, softball, basketball with a passion. He was big on semipro football and could tell you the names of all the players, scores and who did well after every weekend game. He was always devastated and frustrated when Belize teams did poorly internationally, which recently seemed like most of the time. He and his grandson Kieran would always argue about which team is the best.

Mr. Flowers would travel with his daughters’ softball teams to watch them play, especially Bridget. He would be coaching from the bleachers every time that she was at bat, shouting “Bridget raise your hand so you could get a good hit”. Bridget did not need to look to find him in the bleachers, she just needed to hear the voice and she knew it was him.

In his more active years, he would volunteer with Public Works to transport the Radio Belize Outside Broadcasting team that covered the National Cross-Country Race from Belize City to Cayo which he enjoyed doing. In my discussions with him I got the impression that he played football and cricket competitively.

We all know papa loved his hammocks and he had a special one under the house where you would find him most of the time

relaxing and enjoying the breeze.

Ms. Nena would join him sometimes while they wait for the Boledo man or for the everyone to come from work and stop in before they went home. Papa Flowers loved music and parties he would do a little dance now and then, showing the kids how he got the moves, some of which Sharon had mastered. Early every morning he would tum on his radio loud enough so that the workers, school children, and passersby who came to catch the bus could hear the early morning news, talk shows or some nice music. Now on Sundays he would use the radio to let everyone hear the Sunday lottery and no one would complain. So last Christmas they all bought him a new portable sound system and that was his new toy. You could have seen the joy on his face. Even though he cannot sing like his talented brothers, the Smith Brothers, he would hum to their songs that they sing.

Papa love his grandchildren and great grandchildren he looks forward to visits from all of them especially, baby Kylian. Kylian would brighten up his day and share his snack with papa while trying to feed chips he already put in his mouth. Being the good grandfather, he would still eat them. It is safe to say that Mr. Godwin loved his entire family, his friends and neighbors and was always there for them.

He believed in and lived by many of the same principles that I do. Dedication to family, commitment to your word, believing in and expecting fair and equal treatment, and living by the rules. I am also honoured and have the singular distinction of being the first and possibly the only person to take him the Flowers Bank, the village of his ancestry I was told.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years Mrs. Hadie “Nena” Flowers, six children, eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. He will be sadly missed, but his memories will forever be remembered in our hearts.

RIP Godwin Alexander Tuy, Daddy Papa Flowers.

26

THE BELIZE TIMES

23 AUG

2020

PUP SOUND BITES AT ADJOURNMENT House of Representatives on August 14, 2020

Orange Walk Central, Party Leader Hon. John Briceño: I will make some short remarks on our Garifuna brethren in Honduras. On August 10th the Prime Minister wrote a letter to the president of Honduras along with five Foreign Ministers and with Senator Louis Zabaneh. He has been calling out for us to write the President of Honduras Rolando Hernandez expressing Belize’s grave concern over how they treat our Garifuna brethren in Honduras and in particular this case where they kidnapped five Garifuna men in the village of Triumfo De La Cruz on the 19th of July 2020.

Again I thank the Prime Minister for making our position as a country known to the President and citizens of Honduras. We as a Belizean people are in full solidarity with our Garifuna brothers and sisters in their struggle to attain and maintain their full rights as citizens of Honduras. I think that the brutality that has been displayed against our Garifuna brothers and sisters especially in Honduras is something that we must all point out stand up to defend. They continue to try to attain their full freedoms and rights in the development of the countries where they reside such as in Guatemala and Nicaragua. I think we continue to strongly believe that plight and struggles must be recognized and meaningfully supported.

We look forward to the action taken by the authorities in Honduras. Honduras has been a friend of Belize; we have had a long and friendly and fruitful relations and we have every confidence, hope and believe that the government of Honduras will do right by the people our Garifuna brethren in Honduras.

Stann Creek West, Hon. Rodwell Ferguson: I also want to join forces with my colleagues, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The Garifuna people they came to this region and they settled and it is already their home so we want to continue maintaining a cordial relationship with all of our brothers and sisters in Honduras.

I want to share a matter of national importance. The Hummingbird Highway is a wonderful work of art. It is beautifully done but the cutting of the hills and with the rain coming I can see where there will be some serious landslides. So I think before it reaches so that stage. I call on the Ministry of Works to get a cadre of engineers to look at it and see what can be done. Every time you pass you can see the decaying of the highway. We need to make sure that it is secure and proper for the Belizean people thank you.

Caribbean Shores, Hon. Kareem Musa: I rise to speak on an issue of national importance. It is in the minds of all Belizeans now, it is the handling of the Covid crisis. I want to echo the sentiments of the government this morning in applauding the efforts, the hard work and dedication of all of our

front-line officers including the healthcare workers, police officers and everybody who is risking their lives.

We have seen in the last couple weeks how it has spread in San Pedro to some ten of them police officers, pharmacist, doctors, and nurses. We certainly have to thank them for all your efforts that they are putting on behalf of all Belizeans, Madame Speaker.

My contribution this week is how we can improve moving forward. I believe today as it relates to the spread coming out of San Pedro looking forward how we could handle it better. I think we should have locked it down upon hearing of the first few cases.

Additionally Madame Speaker when there was this mad rush coming out of San Pedro all the construction workers all the boats were filled going to different parts of this country. What’s should have been done is to quarantine those individuals at least for some seven days at the Mexico complex. Again Madame Speaker this is just moving forward how we can stop the wide spread contamination of this disease.

Madame Speaker, I also know that I happen to have family members, my brothers and friends who are medical practitioners.

It seems Madame Speaker is that in the coming days and weeks it will only get exponential the growth and the spread of the virus will only get exponential. I know that we do have the rapid gene test PCR in country. I would like to recommend that we start using those tests for the critical patients or the high symptom patients or those that are exhibiting a lot of symptoms. We need to get treatment right away for those individuals. The three to five days is a little too long for those individuals. I am told the gene test has a turnaround time of eighty minutes. So if we can distinguish between individuals who are contact traced but not showing symptoms and those who have significant symptoms then perhaps we can use the rapid gene test on those individuals.

I heard the Prime Minister this morning say that we are not in a position to afford economically a lockdown. I hear you loud and clear Mr. Prime Minister that it is still there in your mind at the National Oversight Committee as a consideration. I would like to recommend Mr. Prime Minister based on the numbers that are coming out. Hundreds are being tested and of those almost half of them are coming positive. It is a very high rate of positive cases. My recommendation would be for us to consider a very short period of lockdown. Not like the three months before but rather a two week lockdown just so that we can get a grip or a handle on the situation.

By my understanding the medical practitioners and the workers are trying to catch up with the disease. So if we could just lock down for a short period of time and get a handle of those individuals who do have over Covid cases so that we can isolate and quarantine them.

By doing business as usual these asymptomatic individuals are out there in public and some are not wearing masks. We have to be in a position to say that we have a handle of it, these are the numbers and I know Mr. Prime Minister that in two weeks even if we locked down the numbers are going to to be high. I am not saying to continue locked down if the numbers are high. I’m just saying that we should catch up with disease so that we can isolate these individuals.

THE BELIZE TIMES 27 2020 United Democratic Party Commitments 2015 Manifesto

23 AUG

PART III (LAST OF 44 BROKEN PROMISES, UDP STYLE) #

Broken Promise

31.

Review the policy that prohibits the holding of Capital has taken flight; In fact, is the last few years, UDP combination of US Dollar accounts at domestic banks in order to policy has weakened the banking system. With a third recession and a decretain capital in Belize imated economy with band-aids everywhere, Belizeans just want the UDP out of their lives.

Develop an investor-friendly residency program Is this the McAfee, Mason, Pukke, Dermen, Kingston etc. program?

Improve government services through the im- Services to a few was great. It is called corrupted services. plementation of a system-wide quality process reform Enact bills to enforce transparency & account- On Feb 20 and 23, there was a major and a historic demonstration pointed ability in Public Financial Management. to the finances of the country being corrupted. In fact, the very supreme court had on Jan 31 ruled that PM Barrow had been involved for years in deliberate unconstitutional spending of Belizean money.

Fully implement an integrated e-Government Maybe this is why the Prime Minister’s last decision on John Saldivar was a system in all departments where practical video to the nation. The Barrow Touch or the Barrow’s Law is the corrupted version of Midas and Murphy.

Diversify the education curriculum to ensure rel- Faber cannot get his 2012 imposed amendments to work. Education is not evance to national demand happening at rates Belize needs to progress. PSE is regressing in terms of success.

Launch a nationwide preventative campaign to The politicizing of the health system has been detrimental. Pablo Marin is reduce diabetes, hypertension & obesity through not good for the MoH. Let us recall, the PM left him as Minister of health proper nutrition & exercise because he wins elections. Sad. We have a malpracticing Minister of Health.

Develop a National Housing Policy that will stim- Anyone seen the policy? Yet, they can rack up a 24 thousand dollars in ulate housing starts & create a secondary mar- phone bill for the last fiscal year. ket for mortgages Institute a National Lands Advisory Council to en- With Patt and the caretakers the corruption at Land continues. Patt said so sure adherence to progressive land use policies himself. Did he give 350 caye lots for 1000 dollars to UDP delegates for votes? When the media asked him, he infamously said he won’t answer since his words are often distorted. Yes, Patt sounded distorted.

Implement a mandatory recycling program Oh yes they recycled the ministers in Cabinet. There was no improvement.

Restrict importation & use of non-biodegradable Has the UDP found out which packing is biodegradable? Does Belize have packaging scientists who verify that the packaging being called biodegradable actually is? Is another fraud happening in plain sight?

Develop & implement a modern migration policy Is this the Dermen convict policy? that will ensure that immigration into Belize will In this the Dianne Finnegan/Beverly Williams policy? contribute positively to our national development Implement the National Council on Ageing’s Stra- Our septuagenarian and octogenarian relatives are waiting. Covid is staring tegic Plan 2015 – 2019 to address the needs of them in the face. Mr. UDP what will you do? our elderly, including legal protection, healthy life styles, financial security, social support, housing conditions & access Invest $60 million to upgrade & widen the Philip It is 2020 and the old Haulover is still there. The widening rendered a highGoldson Highway from Mile 2 to the PGIA junc- way with deep defects. Horrible accidents along the stretch point to only tion, & replace the Haulover Bridge some of the defects.

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Outcome

28 Faber and Sankat Threaten Teachers

THE BELIZE TIMES

While there are many capable Belizeans, why do we need a Trinidadian to run our University? Whilst our Caribbean countries share in the Caricom agreement, it is this writer’s opinion that the benefit we get from said agreement is miniscule. Belize’s need for support from all parties is always present but the idea that Belize’s English and culture should bind her to the Caribbean might be an issue to revisit. So many things have changed since 1981.

Now Sankat is not the issue. Most of Belize has not been made aware that the President of the University of Belize has been in Trinidad since before the pandemic. The timeline is fuzzy but let the question be put there: Did Sankat really get locked in to Trinidad and out of Belize OR is it his version of Dean Barrow’s bird to Belize?

So the University of Belize was to resume online with an unprepared faculty. The virtual steward of course has no control, the Minister of Education Faber has NO PLAN and is of course unqualified to make a decision on a way forward for the University of Belize. The faculty via their Union issued a video release stating their plans and asked the students to be patient—of course, students whose rights have been recently trampled by Faber and the University are supportive of the lecturers.

Should the teachers be telling the administration that their job is to be sure that the teachers are ready for a new version of a University school year, an online version.

Here we see UB issuing a firing threat instead of seeking how to fix the problem. Of course, Sankat and Faber have no idea what to do. They only react in a situation that needs all the foresight and leadership that can be mustered in the times of Covid. One can easily note how it is that the University did NOT know the teachers were not ready. Has the University been assuming that the teachers are ready and never really checked? The board in all its points fails to point a given over sight on the part of the University. Isn’t anyone checking the readiness of the faculty?

Again... Faber...Sankat... you GOT TO GO. Belizeans want their University back to a road of upliftment. The PUP’s Education Policy which can be found in planBelize.bz will make necessary changes to UB including a concerted yearly raise to the subvention and improvements to overall accreditation. Yes, there are many issues that will arise but the one that the teachers noted has blame that goes all the way to Sankat for not being aware of this. It does remind of Barrow who claims to not know whenever a scandal arises. Barrow deflecting blame is a UDP staple.

Faber Fails to Plan, he Plans to Fail A full week since schools opening were nixed and many more since it was announced and there are crickets from the usual loud mouth Minister of Education. Let us go further to the July 12 UDP convention. Patrick Faber won the leader elect seat and you would think that he has a plan on how he would take Belize forward at least in Education. But there is nothing to show.

He went on record to say that he had dreamt of being the Leader of the UDP and Prime Minister of Belize. So in his lifetime of dreaming he has prepared no plan. Faber is only prepared to fail. What a petty nut!

23 AUG

2020

Boots Corrupted Rebooting

UDP’s self-proclaimed General has been kicked out of Port Loyola by residents who have had enough of his socks stuffing views. Boots Martinez was quickly known after 2008 for attempting to make questionable deposits. Additionally, Port residents soon understood that the only Human Development he was working at was his own. Now, Boots Martinez is a veritable millionaire with a new smile to display.

It is well known that he threw his foot out of the Port Loyola constituency after he couldn’t ignore Port Loyola any more so he decided to switch to an all-out abandon much to the celebration of Port residents.

Boot’s baggage is too damning and he is a definite no-fit anywhere else. The UDP do not have viable candidates for any constituency so guess what they did when the Artificial one ran for the exits in Pickstock. They brought in the baggage of Boots just to make sure the election coffers are not shared with anyone else. Real selfish indeed. Winning is not in their mind. Serving the people of Pickstock is not even a part of the UDP’s imagination.

Boots Martinez often removes

his socks and empties its contents.

Lately, the wads are not as thick as before. He cannot fathom the day when he will not do a roll call. To say that Boots will be contesting the seat in Pickstock is damn lie. The mismatch will be one for the ages.

Mahler’s triumph will be a shared one with the Pickstock voters— something the UDP cannot equal in the best of their dreams.

Boots salivated when he saw and heard Sedi hating on Faber.

Sedi of course loves the incompetent UDP in Faber but he is very aware that he, and Faber, are about to get a voter mauling for the ages. Pickstock’s and the Belizean body politic will castigate the UDP with Yellowman bitterness—with no comeback fih comeback.

Sedi has known for years that the UDP was horridly erred. Sedi and the UDP have systematically and callously been misspending Belizean taxpayer dollars and resources while placing a real chokehold on Belize.

It’s not working, UDP. Belize will soon counter with all the might of truth and the grace of God. Flee UDP...You have no tomorrow.

23 AUG

2020

THE BELIZE TIMES

29

30

23 AUG

THE BELIZE TIMES

2020

Faber, Patrick Jason Classless UDP 1st/2nd/3rd Term Final Progress Report

Issues

Term

Final

1st

2nd

3rd

Minister of Education

F

F

F

F

Retrenchment/Victimization of School Wardens

A+

A+

A+

A+

Incomplete Belize Civic Center; two deaths

U

U

F

F

Union Busting ($1Million Easter Cheer)

A

A

A

A

Herman Longsworth/Patrick Henry Money Missing

F

F

F

F

Marion Jones Stadium 2.7 Million

-

F

F

F

Visa Recommendations for Unknowns

U

U

U

U

Crime (high dropout rates)

F

F

F

F

Vega and all the Land Issues

U

U

U

U

BNTU Issues

F

F

F

F

Respect for Teachers

F

F

F

F

School Retention of Students

F

F

F

F

Danny (250K??), Intelco Hill

U

U

U

U

Lev Dermen

U

U

U

U

Sanctuary Bay (Kanantik Education Courses)

A+

U

U

U

Corozal Pibil Tacos

-

-

A+

A+

Belizean economy

U

U

U

U

Women’s Issues

F

F

F

F

Submerging/Wrecking Government Vehicles

-

-

A+

A+

Useless Music Ambassador at NICH

F

F

F

F

Sports(Local and International)

F

F

F

F

Our Children’s Access to School

F

F

F

F

Julian Cho HS/Simeon Coc’s misused $2Million

-

-

F

F

Teacher’s Commission

-

F

F

F

Scholarships for Cronies(Fraser, Willoughby, Perdomo)

A

A

A

A

Secondary Education Financing Formula

-

F

F

F

Yellow Man’s Hiring & Firing Issue

-

F

F

F

Economy in Collet

F

F

F

F

Crime in Collet

F

F

F

F

Housing in Collet

F

F

F

F

Land Programs in Collet

F

F

F

F

Job availability in Collet

F

F

F

F

The Hub still closed

-

-

F

F

Covid State of Education

-

-

F

F

University of Belize Subvention Cut

F

F

F

F

U – Ungraded meaning that is not assessable since he was guilty of inaction.

F – Definitely did not do anything to help the people of Belize.

A+ – He seemed to be happy with helping himself.

Future Outlook: With so much inaction on BIG issues happening around him, Patrick Joshua is eons away from being a leader. When half of a few delegates from a divided party vote for you there is a Patrick Joshua Faber demise awaiting. Since Patrick Joshua has to go through an election against a politically-inert Saldivar and the outcome is a virtual TIE then Patrick Joshua should start thinking of an improbable 2035 run.

Recommendation: Mr. Faber should go to John Briceño and request tips on how to beat Oscar Arnold. The UDP will be extremely lucky to come out of elections 2020 with a person in the House to be the UDP Leader of the Opposition.

23 AUG

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2020

Editor’s Choice: International

Guatemaltecos participa en una protesta frente a la Casa Blanca. (Foto Prensa Libre)

Migrantes: Remesas baten récord, sin que esto signifique más desarrollo para Guatemala

Por Sergio Morales Rodas 17 de agosto - Contra todos los pronósticos, el flujo de dólares de EE. UU. a Guatemala ha crecido, pese a la emergencia por la pandemia del covid19, y aunque en marzo y abril cayó, en los meses siguientes se recuperó a tal punto que en julio se sobrepasó por primera vez los US$1 mil en remesas familiares en un solo mes.

La cifra no es casualidad. Desde hace dos décadas que el flujo de remesas se ha incrementado año con año, mes tras mes; lo cual, para el caso de Guatemala, lejos de ser visto como positivo es considerado por expertos como un síntoma de la pobreza y de las escasas oportunidades de desarrollo que predominan en el país.

El año pasado, según un informe del Banco Mundial, Guatemala se ubicó en el puesto 15 del total de países receptores de remesas con más de US$10 mil 600 millones —unos Q81 mil 620—. La cifra solo es un poco menor que el presupuesto general de ingresos y egresos de la nación.

(Lea más en prensalibre.com)

Ayuntamiento de Benito Juárez rinde cuentas claras 17 de agosto Cancun.- Bajo la premisa de impulsar un gobierno eficiente, transparente y de rendición de cuentas, el Ayuntamiento de Benito Juárez cumplió con la entrega de la Cuenta Pública ante la Auditoría Superior del Estado, y de información contable en el Sistema de Evaluaciones para la Armonización Contable (SEvAC).

Desde el pasado mes de abril, la Cuenta Pública fue entregada al 100 por ciento, señaló la Presidente Municipal, Mara Lezama, quien agregó que se hizo en tiempo y forma a la Auditoría Superior del Estado, con todo el soporte documental de los gastos que se erogan en la administración, debidamente respaldados y comprobados.

Resaltó que durante las dos evaluaciones realizadas durante la presente administración, el mismo ha aumentado su calificación, pasando de 80.40% en el tercer trimestre de la administración saliente en 2018, a un 83.64% en el cuatro trimestre de ese mismo año y a un 94.20% en el cuatro trimestre de 2019. (Lea más en 24horasqroo.mx) (AP Foto/Ng Han Guan, Archivo)

Por “espionaje” de Huawei a EEUU, Trump impone nuevas restricciones a la compañía

By Associated Press

Washington.- Estados Unidos impuso otra ronda de restricciones a la empresa china Huawei en un System with cyclone potential is heading to the Yucatan momento en que el presidente Donald Trump renueva las acusaciones de Peninsula (Yucatantimes.com) que el equipo de telecomunicaciones de la empresa es utilizado para MÉRIDA, YUCATAN August 19 - A low-pressure zone with a cyclonic espiar. potential of 30 percent is heading to the Yucatan Peninsula, the first effects of "No queremos su equipo en Estados Unidos porque nos espían", which will be felt on the weekend.

According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), at 1:00 p.m. dijo Trump el lunes a Fox. "Y cualquier país que lo utilice, no haremos on Tuesday, August 18th, the natural phenomenon was located 1242.7miles east- nada en cuestión de compartir inteligencia". southeast off the coast of Chetumal.

Las nuevas reglas del Departamento de Comercio, difundidas el The low-pressure zone is associated with a tropical wave, which travels lunes, bloquearán todavía más a Huawei el acceso a tecnología para west at a speed of 19.9mph. So far it has a cyclonic potential of 30 percent, but chips. Un ejecutivo de Huawei dijo este mes que la compañía se estaba in the next five days it would increase to 70 percent. Although it is still far from quedando sin microprocesadores para fabricar smartphones debido a las Mexico, the SMN established that the tropical system is under surveillance. sanciones de Estados Unidos y que podría verse obligado a detener la The NOAA pointed out that it is a disorganized tropical system located producción de sus propios chips avanzados. in the Caribbean Sea, producing an area of electrical storm.

Huawei está en medio de las tensiones entre Estados Unidos y According to the forecast, “in the next few hours it will slow down, so China por tecnología y seguridad. El enfrentamiento ya alcanzó a la this weekend would turn into a tropical depression, as it is located in the popular app de videos TikTok, de propiedad china, y el servicio de northwest of the Caribbean Sea.” Meteorology Yucatan warned that “the probability of cyclonic mensajería basado en ese país WeChat, ambos amenazados de prohibirse development over the Caribbean increases to 70 percent in the next five days.” en Estados Unidos a partir de septiembre.(Lea más en sipse.com) Covid vaccine tracker: when will we have a coronavirus vaccine?

By Nikko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Vaccines normally require years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine within 12 to 18 months.

Vaccines mimic the virus – or part of the virus – they protect against, stimulating the immune system to develop antibodies.

They must follow higher safety standards than other drugs because they are given to millions of healthy people.

Russian health authorities have approved a coronavirus vaccine which has yet to complete clinical trials.

How are vaccines tested?

In the pre-clinical stage of testing, researchers give the vaccine to animals to see if it triggers an immune response.

In phase 1 of clinical testing, the vaccine is given to a small group of people to determine whether it is safe and to learn more about the immune response it provokes.

In phase 2, the vaccine is given to hundreds of people so scientists can learn more about its safety and correct dosage.

In phase 3, the vaccine is given to thousands of people to confirm its safety – including rare side effects – and effectiveness. These trials involve a control group which is given a placebo. (Read more at theguardian.com/world)

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2020