Prime Minister Endorses 90-Day Detention in Latest State of Emergency

As it relates to the current State of Emergency, the Prime Minister registered no objections to the 90-day detention for this round of the SoE.  In an interview with CTV3, Briceno says it is his hope that Police would use the detention time to carry out proper investigations.

John Briceno, Prime Minister of Belize: “It’s really a sad state of affairs when we have our young people behaving in such lawless fashion. A small group I need to make that point and certainly maybe we’ve done the 30 day and it cools them off for a little while and then they go back to the same kind of behavior so the recommendation from the Commissioner and the Minister of Police they are the ones that recommended that maybe we should consider extending the state of emergency in these areas for ninety days but at the same time we’re quickly pointing out that it does not mean that we’re going to infringe in the movement of our citizens. Our law abiding citizens have nothing to worry, their lives and their daily moves in and our remain the same it’s only the people that we believe that are out there creating havoc and creating trouble and even with the murders and shooting I think we need to get them off the streets and hopefully with the 90 days it will allow them either to calm down but at the same time for the police to do a proper investigation to see who are these people that have been creating all of this problem in our society.”

And while the Prime Minister fully supports his government’s crackdown on crime, his Cabinet colleague Minister of Human Development and Families Dolores Balderamos Garcia doesn’t have an opinion on the national issue. Today, our newsroom attempted to speak to Garcia about the impacts the SOE has on the families of the alleged gang members. But she told us to ask the police department’s political commander-in-chief.  

Reporter: Your take on the SOE in the sense that many of the families of these men say that when they are sent to prison they lose their jobs, they don’t see their kids, they aren’t able to provide for their families. What’s your take on it ? 

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development: “I think it’s time for me to stop this interview. I can’t have an opinion on every single thing in the country. Ask Mr.Kareem Musa that one for me.”

Our newsroom has attempted to get Musa’s take on the SOE, which he opposed when he was in opposition, but our calls and text messages have gone unanswered.