7 News Belize

Briceno: Basta Barrow!
posted (August 31, 2017)
Tonight the PUP says it has had enough of the shady land dealings under the UDP. The party came out of an emergency executive meeting today saying that it will be engaging the social partners on an ongoing campaign to demand urgent action from the Barrow Administration to identify and undo all the corrupt land deals. Now, the Prime Minister has already asked police to conduct an urgent investigation into Amy Forte's allegation of forgery - but it's not enough for the opposition.

We waited outside the Party's Headquarters this evening to hear the sketch of a PUP plan, long on outrage, but short on specifics:...

Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader
"Enough is enough! We are not going to continue to tolerate this government in the way they have been behaving since 2008 and to this day right now it is more than 24 hours later and nobody has been arrested. When we have Andre saying okay I'm going to give you back the land. Why is it that he is not giving back the $400,000? Why is it that they have to go to court to be able to collect that? Our party has had enough. We are going to have a sustained activity and discussion and conversation with the Belizean people. We are going to be meeting with our social partners and everyone, because enough is enough. I don't want to hear no sweet words from the Prime Minister. We made some demands yesterday and I am going to write him officially that we want to hear when are these people going to be arrested. We want to know when are they going to return the lands that they have acquired all across this country, for instance like the almost 1,700 acres of land in Camelita that was taken away from farmers just so that one family can benefit. They need to bring back those lands. They need to bring back those assets. No more talking Mr. Prime Minister. We've heard enough. The people of this country have had enough. The social partners have had enough. We need to see action."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"We've seen statements from the PSU and the BNTU. How will you be engaging with them and is this engagement towards having some sort of protest or some sort of civil action that can send a direct message to the government?"

Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader
"Everything is on the table. What is most important we want to see action on behalf of the Prime Minister. So, the Prime Minister needs to decide how he wants it. We are not going to stop until we get the necessary changes in this country, so that we can have a Belize that works for everyone."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Would the opposition be satisfied, I mean an investigation can't happen in 24 hours, but would the opposition be satisfied of some concrete criminal cases made against someone for perpetrating a forgery in the Amy Forte case?"

Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader
"It is more than that. That is just a tiny step. The Prime Minister can immediately institute a special investigation into the activities in the Ministry of Natural Resources from 2008 to 2015."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Critics have said well the opposition have failed to generate momentum and the UDP even though its 10 years in, its rocked by various scandals is still in the driver's seat and still expected to do well in the next election and maybe even in the election after that. Some outsiders say that. I'm saying is this the move for you all to say "this is it, we'll jump this wave and go successful into the next election after this.""

Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader
"Have you ever stop to think how all of this has happened? Do you think it just drop like manner from the sky? How party has been behind this every step of the way and you in the media know how you've been getting your information. So let's put that on record. So not something that the media juts get it just like that or the social partners just get it like that. The People's United Party has been behind all of this every step of the way to make sure that we can get to where we are. Now we have the social partners and the people now are outraged, because they are constantly day after day they are seeing the corruption that is taking place and that we have a Prime Minister that either totally disengage and ready to go or doesn't care."

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