Protest Erupts Over Controversial $6.9M Land Purchase for UB Teaching Hospital

The controversy surrounding the land purchase continues to spark debate, with various stakeholders raising questions about transparency, environmental concerns, and the broader implications of the government’s decision to divert from its original plan to utilize the UB property for a teaching hospital.  Today, a protest took place, aimed at getting the government to reverse its six point nine million dollar land acquisition. Reporter Vejea Alvarez was there and file this report.

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: Tensions ran high in Belmopan today as a group of a hundred or so people gathered outside the Ministry of Finance to voice their opposition to the government’s recent purchase of a $6.9 million dollar plot of land for a new tertiary level hospital. While the call for protest was directed at everyday citizens the crowd largely comprised of members of the labour unions and supporters of the opposition. The demonstration was organized by lands activist Nigel Petillo who expressed disappointment at the turnout. 

Nigel Petillo, Land Activist: “Issues like these we should all unite together as a people to stand up and send that message to our leaders. These are the same people who came to our doors they were in opposition talking about corruption and mismanagement, and better governance and this and that. They act as if though they cared. Now we’re simply here demanding accountability. We’re asking that they take a better look at this deal that is taking place. We’re asking that they listen to the wills, the wants, the demands of the Belizean people. We would want to see our Prime Minister out here with us talking and discussing with us. I also remind people that at one time we would have those people would come and there was a platform where they would set up public meetings and they would discuss issues that affect each community, they don’t do that anymore they just dictate and tell us how things are going to be done. So we are at a point right now where don’t worry about the numbers you see out here this is not done today. This will continue tomorrow, it will continue next week, it will continue.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: National Trade Union Congress of Belize President Louis Martinez has been vocal about the land purchase. Today he reiterated his demand for the Ministry of Health and Wellness to disclose the information behind their decision. 

Luis Martinez, NTUCB, President: “Seeing is believing. So the National Trade Union Congress in partnership with the other social partners so don’t think that we’re standing alone. As a matter of fact we have the diaspora who is standing behind us. We are in the process of writing to the Minister of Health to give us those documents and using the Freedom of Information Act to get those information. And if they fail to give us the information like that we will get in there and take it because the people need to know.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: Despite the protest’s focus the turnout from the Belize National Teachers Union was notably sparse compared to their past demonstrations. President Nadia Caliz clarified that the intention was not to mobilize their full membership. 

Nadia Caliz, BNTU President: “We chose a representation approach today because when I was in Mexico while all of this was transpiring and we have a system that says you have a discussion with your council then you go to the membership and then they dictate the direction coming forward. So without a membership mandate we could not bring out our membership and I don’t want anybody to think that BNTU is weak and BNTU is sleeping where this is concerned, we’re not. But I want to talk about what my colleague said eerier. You know where the problem is ? In the system. And if you’ve been listening to me talking lately about education challenges it’s within the system. We’re looking at the constitution right now, we’re revisiting that. We need to ensure that there are laws within the constitution that will hold political officers accountable when they violate.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: Ashley Longford, President of the National Student Union, also expressed frustration over the lack of engagement from the youth.

Ashley Longford, National Students Union President: “The government said to UB that land was supposed to be accessible to UB students. UB medical students, where are UB medical students ? We are in Belmopan right now. University right here. Where is the UB student government ? Where is the UB student body ? Where are the students of this country ? “

Vejea Alvarez, Love News:  Also making a solo appearance was Andrew Baird, president of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Union. He raised concerns about the hospital’s proximity to sewage ponds questioning if this was factored into the Ministry of Health’s planning. 

Andrew Baird, President, KHMHA Workers Union: “Let us ask them to show us the epidemiologist report. Because there must be a report from an epidemiologist, infection control nurse of the ministry or something. Show us because there are concerns with disease patterns and stuff from these ponds. The people that live within the immediate area are saying so why the government is saying something different ? Give us back the $6.9 million build the hospital on UB campus.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: While many focused on the land’s location and it’s surrounding Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow said the focus should have been on the millions of tax payer dollars used for the allegedly crooked deal.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “The most glaring act of corruption is the fact that this government used tax payers dollars to spend $6.9 million dollars on a property that is only worth $600,000 according to the Belmopan City Council valuation that we saw that happened this year. This is corruption. This is malfeasance in public office and we cannot tolerate it. So we are getting into the semantics of the location which is abhorrent. Which is a health hazard, which makes absolutely no sense, which contradicts the motion that was passed in the honorable house which contradicts the presentation that was made to the Saudis that this would be a tertiary level hospital built on the UB campus.” 

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: Dean Flowers, Leader of the Public Sector Union, criticized what he perceives as a broader issue of the government’s mismanagement of crown lands calling the situation a reflection of systematic problems.

Dean Flowers, PSU President: “Between 2018 or 2017 to about 2019 there was some very corrupt selling of land in Belmopan by the then Minister of Lands. People involved in RECONDEV, the chairman there and members of the city council and shame, as brother Luke said, on those individuals because the very mayor sat on the board of RECONDEV and saw the property being undervalued and property tax being robbed from the people of Belmopan and said nothing. You have to put these things in perspective. Now fast forward to today. It shows that there is absolutely no difference between the quality and the type of people that we’re putting into office. Because this is just a spin off effect of what occurred there. Again I always challenge this administration, you came into government on a platform of good governance. Nothing that you’re currently executing and doing is proving that you’re serious about bettering the lives of Belizeans and addressing the issue of corruption.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: While the group never got a chance to speak to the Prime Minister or any government officials things got a bit heated when they attempted to block the PM’s driver from leaving. Nonetheless Senator Glenfield Dennison says the unions are working to take the matter to court. 

Glenfield Dennison, Senator: “I think the government is really pulling the wool over our eyes because they did something very clever. They put in the recitals that they would build the hospital on the UB land however they removed that wording in the resolution, they put that the hospital will be be built in Belmopan and nobody said anything then.”

Reporter: Legislative sleight of hand. 

Glenfield Dennison, Senator: “Correct. So I think it’s important that we acknowledge that really and truly the governance structure is broken. It simply is broken. The legislature and the executive just are one and with the exception of the four social partners who are barely holding it together the legislature is just done.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: The unions say they remain hellbent on ensuring the government reverses this decision.