So, while the industry stakeholders try to work through all of these very difficult conversations, there was an explosion of violence near the Tower Hill compound yesterday that went viral on Facebook and in WhatsApp Groups.
In the video, a group of farmers is seen on the attack against Vladimir Puck, the Chairman of the Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association, who you saw in our story. In a few seconds, he is swarmed by a mob that attempts to put some sort of beatdown on him. A few frames later, an attacker also approaches with a machete in hand.
Puck did not respond to our phone calls or text message requests. We understand that his attackers were a group of some 30 plus farmers who used to be members of his association before they were removed.
We are informed that these former members now have an ax to grind with the Chairman, and things came to a head yesterday when there were attempts to treat them as independent farmers. They wanted to be recognized for their cane deliveries as members of the CSCPA. It reportedly led to a difficult conversation, where their demand was being addressed.
So, when the Chairman walked by the ticket booth area of the Towerhill Compound, they assaulted him, and we understand that he may have suffered an injured finger in the scuffle.
Today, when the press caught up with the BSI's Director of Finance, they questioned him about it. Here's that conversation:
Shawn Chavarria - Director of Finance, ASR/BSI
"Yesterday, this matter in terms of the delivery of these 34 formers members of the association was being addressed and in fact our cane farmers relations manager along with the SCPC manager and the chairman of the sugar industry control board were dealing with it and so the system was being updated so that they can proceed to enter the system with a system generated ticket as opposed to one just being issued manually, so the matter was being addressed in a very amicable manner, but unfortunately with some internal conflicts that exists within this association some members just simply went and attacked the chairman and so the authorities are currently dealing with this issue, but we certainly deplore that act of violence and it has no place in the industry. We work very hard here to ensure that all farmers who are delivering came to the mill feel that they are coming in a safe environment."
"The association has reported that these are formers members of the Corozal sugarcane producers association and so the list had them as independent individuals, in other words no designation to an association and so they were on the list, they could have delivered cane, but they were insistent that they should deliver under the Corozal sugarcane producers association and so then and there a decision was made with the chairman of the sugar industry control board to defuse the situation, let's go and update the system so that they show as Corozal sugarcane producers association members and then have the association deal with this matter internally how it moves forward."
In a press release today, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize said that they met with all 4 cane farming associations.
Their statement says, quote, "The NTUCB takes the opportunity to request the de-escalation of violence in the Sugar Industry. NTUCB met with Sugar Industry Stakeholders in the north… NTUCB encourages the unification of Sugar Associations or any effort to collaborate with each other for the benefit of all farmers within these Associations. NTUCB calls for good-faith discussions between BSCFA and BSI/ASR for the benefit of all within this Sector." End quote.
