The Crime March in San Pedro

Last week the San Pedro Town Council and Belize Rural South Area Representative and Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia joined the march against crime on Ambergris Caye. The march was the brain child of the different neighborhood watch groups who, time and time again, have been clamoring for something to be done to address the crime situation on the island. After numerous attempts to find a solution, the watch groups decided to take to the streets, but the elected officials jumped on the bandwagon to claim fame.

For the neighborhood watch groups to organize themselves as one band and show how disappointed they are with central government and the way they are handling the crime situation is good of them. For the locally elected UDP municipality to join the march is hypocritical. If they so much desired to do something about addressing the crime problems on the island, they would have done so a long time ago. The truth of the matter is that they have the political power to pressure their central government to adequately address the crime issues. What was shocking to us was to see the senior Cabinet Minister Junior Heredia show up with his face of brass and march.

The elected Cabinet Minister had no shame to march along the very same groups who have been singing to him for months that things are out of control on the island. By his own admission, Junior Heredia said on national radio that “something drastic has to be done to address the crime situation on the island.” So can Junior Heredia tell us what drastic measure his government is taking? The people have spoken by saying enough is enough and marching through the streets on San Pedro, but the big question now is what’s next?

Showing your tired political face at the march is not enough for us, Junior. Can you tell the people of San Pedro what Cabinet said about the march? You have the time to sit in Cabinet and discuss stupid, inconsequential issues; how is it that they have not discussed the crime situation on the most important tourism destination? We are yet to hear the UDP government’s police plan of action for the island when it comes to crime. Where is the 360 degree policing plan for San Pedro, Ambergris Caye?

What is really surprising is that moments after the crime march, Junior was heard saying that him marching had nothing to do with finding solutions. From what we were told, for Junior Heredia it was about claiming fame while at the same time sending a message to his incompetent and lame-brained cabinet colleague, Carlos Perdomo. Why would Junior want to finish Perdomo? Junior’s declaration seems to me like he is stomping a beaten man that is already on the ground. So my next question to Junior is why and on whose order are you sending that message to Perdomo? It is common knowledge that Perdomo is nothing but an excellent example of complete failure, but for senior cabinet ministers to behave like disgruntled lovers is something else.

For Junior to march against crime in San Pedro and claim fame and to send a message to inept Perdomo is shameful. Junior should have taken such issues to Cabinet and pressured his Cabinet colleague and government to take the “drastic actions” which are so clearly necessary. If Junior stands beside his people as he continuously claims, then do the right thing; tell Perdomo that the people of San Pedro want his resignation and pronto. If Junior has sufficient bolas, then he needs to stop playing footsy with such a delicate situation and do the right thing. The people on Ambergris Caye will not stand and wait until something even more drastic happens for some drastic measures to be implemented. Do it now! Enough is enough, we are tired of Perdomo, Junior and the stack of incompetent UDP fools.

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