ABRPO Protests in Belmopan, Demands Action from Government

Today, for the second time this year, the Association of Beneficiaries and Retired Public Officers (ABRPO) protested in Belmopan. In March, the association took to the steps of the National Assembly after not getting any results with their demonstration in 2023. The association wants the Public Service Workers Trust (PSWT) dissolved and its beneficiaries compensated in cash. The public officers, whose salaries and increments were frozen between 1995 and 1997, believe the government is dragging its feet with the issue. Two months ago, the group met with Prime Minister John Briceno but since then, they haven’t been able to reach him. This morning, a handful of members held signs and placards in front of the Prime Minister’s office in hopes of getting an audience with him. Hubert Enriquez, ABRPO President, says the move came after the PM did not hold up his part of an agreement made earlier this year.

Hubert Enriguez, ABRPO President: “We agreed that we would meet on a monthly basis. Now it’s now going on two months since we have met and so we call a meeting and we’ve actually sent reminders and so forth. There’s been no response. And so we’re at a point now where, because of time, time really is not on our side. People are dying and so we feel that it’s necessary for us to remind the prime minister that in fact this matter is urgent. And so we’re here to do that, because unless we meet, you know people are dying and it isn’t clear that the beneficiaries of those persons who are deceased will be able to get benefits from this trust. And so it’s very important to meet to discuss. We don’t think that there’s necessarily an objection to the dissolution of the trust, the government has agreed to do it, but they need to find time to deal with this matter as they appoint time for other things. So that’s why we’re here today.”

Reporter: Why do you feel like the Prime Minister is sort of ignoring you guys for the past two months? 

Hubert Enriguez, ABRPO President: “Honestly, I think that they really want to get this matter resolved. We know that, or we are of the view that by now the AG has written to them certain recommendations. We don’t know why we haven’t met. We don’t know why at all. We can’t say why but we hope that we can do so very, very quickly and this is all an effort to just to remind him that the fact we need to meet.”

Enriquez added that ABRPO has advocated for payments in the money and argues that any other form of compensation would be like a slap in the face for their long years of hard work.

Hubert Enriguez, ABRPO President: “We need our funds that we paid as is required by law. By law, you know, it is against the law for us to be paid in any other than legal tender. And so that’s why we are saying that we need to get these funds sorted out and get people paid. That’s the easiest way to do it and get rid of it.”

Reporter: So now you guys saw it fit to be out here today protesting but… If this doesn’t work and there’s still no meetings after this, I mean, where do you guys go from here? 

Hubert Enriguez, ABRPO President: “Yes, this is really only a portion of our executives who are coming here today. Of course, we’ve seen that we’ve had a bigger protest and that’s what it’s going to hit again. But we don’t think we need to go there, really. We think that the meeting is going to be called soon. And we’re just trying to remind the Prime Minister, listen, we’re here. We want this meeting to be called and we can get this matter sorted out and go in quickly as possible. We will continue to fight for what they deserve. It is a process. We are confident that at the end of the day we are going to be successful and that the trust is going to be dissolved. It takes time and just to bear patience and that the next step is going to be for us, if it’s not resolved to do more of this kind of action. As I said, we are very, very confident that it is going to be resolved sooner or later.”

Many of the beneficiaries have already passed away, according to Enriquez.