Sunshine Holdings Limited has already paid government $10 million of Social Security money for shares in BTL, and, we are informed, government has paid that on to its international creditors to meet its external obligations. So it's a done deal but it's not really over until the social partners have their say: and they did so on Saturday, when the Association of Concerned Belizeans called out the disgruntled masses to protest what it calls the mismanagement of Social Security funds. Alfonso Noble and Jules Vasquez were on the ground and they have this report.
[Kenny Morgan on Megaphone]
With Kenny Morgan sounding the battle cry, the crowd of about 1,500 crowded the Swing Bridge, and filled the city streets on a Saturday morning.
Karim Berges, A.C.B. President
"Well we feel energized, we've got a good crowd."
There were political personalities, regular citizens, at least one church leader, and the always present Communication Workers Union, and those firebrand union leaders on their bull horn.
[George Frazer on Megaphone]
And while Frazer warned against fattened cows, on this day there were no sacred cows as the dense and varied signage showed as the crowd filled out Douglas Jones Street, everyone was fair game - from Michael Ashcroft to Keith Arnold to of course the Prime Minister and the Minister of Home Affairs, in more than
one language. And while government leaders were the target, the bulls eye was Social Security money and Sunshine.
David Leacock, Demonstrator
"The latest Social Security scandal in which they lend our money to a man who is wealthy already, that is like another straw on our back. Things have not improved, we're still not as happy, and we're getting vexer and vexer."
Rosendo Urbina, Demonstrator
"What happened is that we are worried about the money for our workers. In the next 10 or 15 years, if we continue like this, we won't have any Social Security. What will the workers do? Right now if you notice, when a worker is sick or ill they have a problem getting a little money from Social Security and yet the Prime Minister has $10 million to give away to Michael Ashcroft. No man, we have to protest this because this is our money. I am paying for my workers and my workers are paying their money like everybody else so we have to protest this. If not, what else will the government take from us? We will lose the jewel, we are losing the jewel right now."
Jules Vasquez,
What effect do you think this will have?
Rosendo Urbina,
"It will send a message to the Prime Minister that we are fed up with things and we just won't take it."
Hubert Johnson, Demonstrator
"We have to realize that the country is in a dilemma right now, the
politicians are just taking the people for fools right now and its time for people to stop being naïve and think that things are not happening for real. All the partisan politics have to be put aside and everybody become patriotic and pay attention to what's really going on."
Anthony Fuentes, President of Teachers' Union
"We are not satisfied with our two reps voting in favor of this $10 million to a person who is a billionaire, a person who does not need $10 million. We are saying that the BTL workers are the ones who built the company on their own and they should be the ones to receive this $10 million through the trust that they prefer. The workers were promised that they were the ones who were going to receive this $10 million and in fact we negotiated with Social Security in order for them to get the $10 million and now at the end of the day they ended up giving it to Michael Ashcroft which is unfair to the workers of BTL."
Paul Perriot, President of Communication Workers Union
"We will never give up. The membership says we will continue fighting for these things and that was just a day when I guess I was lost for words but we will continue the struggle Jules, this is isn't finished here; we are not done here."
Jules Vasquez,
But the money has been paid, the shares are there for you and there is only one way to take it and its through the Sunshine situation.
Paul Perriot,
"We will find a way Jules, don't worry, the answer is out there and we will find a way someway."
But how will they find a way to send the message through to the Prime Minister's Office which seems to be insulated against such cries of protest.
Jules Vasquez,
Dylan you've walked this walk before. Why are you still out here? The last time you did it, it didn't make a difference.
Dylan Reneau, President of Public Service Union
"This is our democratic right and you can't say it didn't make a difference, it did. We achieved a lot the last time but I guess this time this government
only understands pressure so we have to apply it back again."
Jules Vasquez,
How do you send a clear message directly to the Prime Minister that will have an effect on him?
Dylan Reneau,
"Jules these things are not very common in our country, it has only become common over the past couple months and it shows the resolve of the people and the resolve becomes infectious and if everybody starts picking up on it, you will see how big this crowd will be at the end of this thing and you will understand why we always do it."
Jules Vasquez,
This has no effect on the leadership of this country. Said Musa doesn't care that you have this poster criticizing it, he is willing to take that, he has 8,000 people that he can mobilize for his convention right now to outsize this crowd.
Zenaida Moya, Public Service Union's V.P.
"Jules what I have to say is that you can rent a crowd, these people are real, they are out here to send a message. Yes I know they may say that all we're doing is walking and talking and we're shouting but it will send the message that we'll persist and we will not end this movement. All I have to say is, 'Mr. Prime Minister we are here, we mean something, we represent over 15,000 workers, and these are just members. You have to listen to us. You were elected to serve us.'"
Rosendo Urbina,
"I am here to show solidarity with the A.C.B. because later on my grandchildren will ask me what I did to save Belize; I have to be here."
Jules Vasquez,
Obviously the government is not swayed or impressed by this sort of public protest.
Hubert Johnson,
"We have to keep it up and we cannot give in, if you want the change you have to keep it up."
Jules Vasquez,
What really is the use of this Lois, because the money has changed hands, what is all this weeping in the streets?
Lois Young-Barrow, Association of Concerned Belizeans
"You can't take that attitude Jules, you have to show that you are damn well fed up with this nonsense. Of course you can't change it, they already did it, but you think they will try it again."
Jules Vasquez,
The government's resolve has hardened and it has realized that no matter how serious or miltance you all become, they cannot be removed from the seat of power.
Lois Young-Barrow,
"Let me tell you something Jules, we will gauged the people's reactions by this protest and we will go back to the drawing boards and we will decide what our next plan of action is. But right now we know we have the people behind us."
Popular support - that's the most the Association Concerned Belizeans can hope for and as the crowd followed the sound of protest rapper Easy Glen, the question is where do they take it form here:
Karim Berges,
"The momentum has begun and the end result will maybe be on election day, hopefully it will be but it's a momentum that's taking place now and that is what we need to take note of. "
Jules Vasquez,
How do you answer the criticism that the ACB is the UDP in a green shirt? That in fact the people in the ACB are just covert UDPs.
Karim Berges,
"I have no energy to continue explaining that Jules. The reality of it is that that is how the politics of it is played and we knew that from the very beginning so we're not going to expend any energy trying to clarify that or even lament on it. We are independent, we are the type of who you might say don't need to do this but we are doing it. But we're not stopping here, we're already approaching the tertiary levels and that is where we've been for the past two to three weeks and after this that is the next momentum that we are going to pick up pace on. We will continue to make the people aware, that is our intention."
Lois Young-Barrow,
"Surely we'll achieve something from this, a message to them, Mr. Ashcroft and the whole crowd of them, back off of the people's money."
It's a message the government will likely reject - as they will this one to call elections now.
[People shouting to call elections now.]
The association leaders says they will continue to remain engaged, while enlisting the support of the unions. For what it's worth, their message missed the Prime Minister who was out of the country this weekend.
And while the Sunshine horse is out of the stable, if you still need something current to be upset about with the management of Social Security funds, 7NEWS has confirmed that government, or Glenn Godfrey, still owes Social Security $1.8 million for meeting Godfrey company bank payments in December. Earlier this year, Financial Secretary Carla Barnett wrote to Social Security saying that government would repay, but government has not and, for the time being at least, it appears cannot, leaving Social Security $1.8 million more out of pocket.
