7 News Belize

Work Resumes On Flamboyant Street
posted (September 20, 2011)
And between those two streets, Marigold and Morning Glory, sits Flamboyant Street.

That was the site of a shooting yesterday morning - where no one was seriously hurt, but four men received minor injuries.

The men are from around that embattled neighborhood and were contracted to clean up their community streets and drains by Minister of works Boots Martinez and political aspirant, Mark King.

In an interview with 7news today King told us he went back in the area this morning to inspire the men to return to work.

Mark King - UDP Standard Bearer, Lake I
"First of all, this comes along with the peace that we're trying to make with all the community people, all the people that don't have jobs, and stuff like that. I wouldn't want to call them gangs because I think that it will be beyond me to call them that. But what we're trying to do, we've organized - this is basically the Prime Minister's vision of seeing peace in our little Belize. And basically, we've organized these guys here, that have nothing to do, and we have them cleaning the drain, in a joint operation along with Ministry of Works. We have them cleaning the streets and the drains in this division, and we're going to go street by street. Unfortunately, we had an incident whereby, we had 4 of these guys were shot, and I came back out here to sort of inspire them to come back to work, and they did that. They were brave enough to come back to work, and it was their part, a good thing because we're try to not only provide for them and their families but, like I said, it's a mere example of the vision that Prime Minister Dean Barrow has to push peace in this land, to ensure that gang violence doesn't rule over peace and harmony at a time like this toward independence. We need people to be more peaceful. We need the community to come together, and what better way for them to come together in terms of developing their own community within their own area, and still being paid for it by the Government. You're not going to be able to full stop retaliation, but we can preach peace and harmony. That is exactly Prime Minister Dean Barrow's vision to the nation. Let's go and talk to the gangs. Let's not shoot them up; let's not go and beat them up. Let's talk to them; let's get them to work; let's help them with their families, and that is what we're trying to do here in Lake I. This is a prime example. These guys were shot at yesterday; 4 of them were shot, and they're still here working this morning, which means that the program actually works. In terms of these guys working, they're very happy doing their work; their families are eating. They're getting salaries for this, and they're developing their community at the same time. So it think that balances out. On a final note, my colleague and I would just like to say, Happy Independence, Belize."

Last night we mentioned that 25 year old Devon Smith - who was shot to the right leg - was affiliated with the PIV gang. It turned out that Smith, who is an employee of KREM, was only in the area talking to his friends.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize