Tomorrow, the Belize Defense Force will celebrate its 29th anniversary. Today in observance of that they had an official parade to start off the celebrations. There was an inspection of the guard of honor while Minister of Defense Cordel Hyde delivered the keynote address. In it, he commended the BDF for the extensive work they do not only in the security aspect of the country but also in assisting young people.
Hon. Cordel Hyde, Minister of Defense
"Over the years the BDF has metamorphosed into an organization that we are proud of. It is one of those entities that whenever you call them, they are there. Whether it is a search and rescue mission for a family lost at sea or to try to catch bandits in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve or provide security at Xunnatunich or Altun Ha, the BDF has been there. We have been a real team player when it comes to supporting other government agencies. The BDF is also fully engaged in the border areas of Belize, regularly conducting synchronized patrols with the Guatemalan Army."
But while Hyde had kind words for the work that the Belize Defense Force does he could not say the same about governments who he says are allowing young people to be incarcerated rather than educated.
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"...Terribly wrong when successive governments spend over $4,300 a year to house a prisoner but couldn't find a $1,000 to send that same youth to high school the previous year. Something is terribly wrong when the population of the prison has risen by over 50%, over 500 new prisoners in less than ten years. Something is terribly wrong when 70% of those remanded at the Hattieville Prison are young, between the ages of 16 to 29. But it is not only successive central and local governments to blame, something went terribly wrong with our families along the way."
Tomorrow the BDF will be holding an all day fair at Price Barracks.
