We caught up with the Prime Minister today at the BDF's Price Barracks Compound in Ladyville, where the PM and members of his Cabinet participated in the annual Christmas Luncheon for the soldiers. While he was there, his government handed over 10 Hino Trucks to the BDF high command, and our news team had a front-row seat to see the PM's heavy-truck driving skills.
Daniel Ortiz has that story:
For Today's handing-over ceremony, the highlight was probably when Prime Minister John Briceno jumped into the driver's seat of one of the ten brand new Hino Trucks and putting his past experience of operating heavy machinery in sugar cultivation; he drove it a few feet forward.
While trying to return the truck to its previous position, he reversed it a little too close to a container. The crowd of soldiers all exclaimed in both delight and concern that their country's Head of Government was going to put the first few scratches on their new BDF ride.
But that didn't happen, and the Prime Minister used that moment of organic comedy to open his remarks.
John Briceno - Prime Minister
"If I get demoted and come to work with BDF, I want to be able to drive one of those trucks. The trucks have AC, nice seats, and everything. And it drives well. I just drove it a few - 'lee bit' because many of you thought I could not drive a truck. We come from the north, Florencio and I, and so we are cane farmers. We drive tractors. I don't know if I could do it anymore."
It was all in good fun to celebrate the arrival of much-needed equipment that the BDF has been requesting for years. The Prime Minister says that the funds were sourced from that CABEI loan that Belizeans have been hearing about Since Term 2 of the Barrow Administration first announced it.
John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Today is a demonstration of what your government is trying to do for you. We expect a lot from you. We demand a lot from you, and the very least we can do as a government is to be able to give you the tools to do the work effectively and efficiently. There is a lot that we have to catch up [on] with you. With these ten trucks - and we have another five that were donated. So, that's fifteen new trucks that we're getting for the BDF. There's been the loan with CABEI that the government has been working on for many years. And for some reason or the other - to work on security. It's a loan for 60 million dollars, and that loan has been in the works for probably about eight years - almost eight years. And once we got into government and realized that this was available, we spoke to the people at Economic Development, and Dr. Martinez took it upon himself to ensure or to find ways how we can get this loan working for the country and working for you here at the BDF."
The Prime Minister announced that today out of that 60 million-dollar loan from CABEI, half of it will be used to improve or increase the resources of the BDF.
John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Of that sixty million dollars, thirty million dollars is going to be invested with BDF, with all of you. This is just a start. I must tell you it's shameful to see. You're living in quarters where you are - or your barracks, sorry. The General is constantly correcting me that it's your barracks. It's not a living quarter. And so, as part of the funding, we met with the officials from CABEI, and we said that we have an emergency and that we need to work on some of your barracks now. So, we will be getting the funding - or we got it already - early in the new year, and we'll be able to build your restaurant or two barracks for all of you. So, apart from the trucks, you're going to get your barracks and your restaurant. I don't know why they call it a restaurant. I hope that they don't expect you to pay for your food, but that's a matter for another day. But, the point is that whilst it might seem like a big deal, it's the least we can do for you all because you are the ones who are risking your lives pretty much every day: when you are out in the bush, when you're out there on the border between Belize and Guatemala, we know that it is a sensitive area and that you have to be operating at your optimum, at your one hundred percent, because we cannot afford a mistake in that region. It could quickly escalate."
But these hard-working servicemen and women have heard elected politicians make big promises like this. This CABEI loan started in 2013.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
"I was a commanding officer at the time at Camp Belizario, and we were requested to submit estimates to refurbish our barrack rooms, our living quarters, and our accommodations, which we did from that time. We were told that it was going to be a CABEI loan through the government of Belize. That, we waited, and waited, and waited, and that did not materialize until this year, finally."
Daniel Ortiz
"Was there any explanation as to why it took so long, those 7-8 years, sir?"
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
"There was no explanation given as to why the wait was, I assumed that it was because of the bureaucracy, but finally, we got it, and that was the intent."
John Briceno - Prime Minister
"CABEI has already agreed to release the funds for the barracks and the restaurant, and so that is going to be released in the first quarter of the year. We have been pressing on them - CABEI. We've also convinced CABEI to open an office in Belize. So, they're going to have a country office in Belize because they want to work closely with the government. They believe that by being on the ground, that we get more of these things done more effectively and efficiently."
"Thirty million dollars is going to be made available for the BDF. The other thirty is going to be used between police and the Coast Guard."
