State of Emergency Extended in Belize and Cayo Districts

Another resolution passed was the extension of the government’s State of Emergency in the Belize and Cayo Districts. The SOE was declared on June 24 and saw sixty-eight alleged gang members being sent to prison. In the last Sitting of the House of Representatives, the Minister of Home Affairs read the proclamation, and this morning it was extended. Senator Kevin Herra rose to speak on the bill and questioned the efficacy of SOE, which is the second for this year. Herra described the measures as a spinning wheel and noted that there may be a need for more draconian measures.

Kevin Herrera, Senator, Business Community: “It’s not something that I think we should take lightly. I mean, in one way, you’re talking about preemptively take people who may commit a crime and putting them behind bars or take away their freedom. And so I think it’s a very, very serious issue, especially when you look at it in light of our constitution and all the freedoms that that guarantees. But having said that, Madam President, I also think that there is a larger issue. That larger issue that government has is to protect the law abiding citizens as priority in this country. And so I imagine that is where we’re going with this motion to further extend the time by two months. The culture that these gangs have created, Madam President, is one of intimidation and violence. And it has left a significant physical impact on this country, but not only physical. There is also a tremendous psychological effect. People live in fear. There’s a tremendous cost that this brings. There’s a cost in terms of lost revenues especially in the tourism sector, with information being as readily available as it is. People want to visit Belize. The first thing they do is start researching. And the first thing they ask you is, what is the crime situation? If they come down there, are they safe? So it’s something that’s on everybody’s mind. And so I think that it’s a… It’s very, it’s incumbent, Madam President, that they try to arrest the situation as much as possible.”

Church Senator Alvin Benguche also scrutinized the SOE and spoke about the need for the government to tackle crime from its roots to prevent further implementations of SOEs.

Bishop Alvin Benguche, Senator for the Council of Churches: “I have come to recognize that both administrations seem to be using the state of emergency as a tool. And it seemed to be, as was pointed out by Senator Herrera, to curb crime but for a time. And then what happens after that? And so I want to make a suggestion that one of the things that must be done in this day and age is to be able to come up with a strategic plan in fighting crime. And when I say that, it must not only be the state of emergency, because Madam President one of the things affecting Belize today especially in the two areas mentioned, that is the reason I made sure that I mentioned them, both in the Cayo area and that strategic part of the Cayo area and in those strategic places in Belize City is that it is, and we will find out, that a lot of what is happening insofar as crime is concerned in those areas, Madam President, have to do with turf war insofar as drugs is concerned. And I dare anybody to dispute what I’m saying. If you dispute me, then you’re disputing what Dr. Herbert Gale has himself researched and found out about the country of Belize. If, Madam President, you will agree with me that it’s a turf war that is taking place then perhaps you will also agree with me that what is happening insofar as this turf war is concerned is that it is our young black men who are engaged in this kind of turf war taking place in these specific areas.”

The SOE was extended to September 24.