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Vol. 23 No. 25 Sunday, June 21, 2020 Page 2 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, June 21, 2020 an interregnum in providence when a circle of three or four Candice Pitts scolds Johnny Briceno people make the decisions for Dear Hon. John Briceno, This seems to be the from the Party. this party, when it is the standard I hope this letter finds you perpetuation of the diliberate and We really do hope that you bearers, who are in the trenches well. disgraceful underrepresentation will find it necessary, important, laboring to ensure victory. With I write to you as one of two of women in our political affairs, and urgent to look more closely such arrangements and attitudes, women Standard Bearers of the by a mass party for which you are at the Mesopotamia Division with victory may indeed come, but it People’s United Party, the party Leader. a view to ensure this is one of may either be stillbirthed, short- for which you are Leader. Given that your party will now the seats that the PUP must win, lived, or pyrrhic. As you may recall, you were have 29 men and two women to and of equal importance, that the My final concern is where the a member of the team in 2007, contest the next general elections, woman standard bearer becomes Belizean people are concerned, whose internal political reform led the hope is that you and your party a representative in any newly particularly those who have to the party’s mandate to ensure would now treat as priority the formed government, should there been neglected and excluded in there is a 30 percent representation candidacy of these two women. be one. communities such as Mesopotamia. of women in parliament. To compound the struggles Honorable Party Leader, I This UDP government has done To date, there seems to be of one of the only two women caution that to win an election in our people a disservice and an more lip service done by the candidates, I was given a division 2020 or 2021 with no women’s injustice. We hope that your party PUP rather than serious efforts to that was hitherto written off by representation will not look good will not repeat the mistake of this realize and actualize this mandate. the PUP, a UDP stranglehold, and for you nor your party, but would government and that your party There were at least four other one of the neediest constituencies. conversely characterize this Party will not perpetuate that cycle of opportunities where the PUP could Notwithstanding, my team and I as prehistotic. exclusion and neglect. We would have made a conscious effort to have been working diligently in My next concern is that we hate that the next elections may increase women’s representation, the Mesopotamia Division and also hope that you may find it be a win for the PUP, but another the most recent being for the having been making great strides. prudent and just to start include loss for the People. Queen Square division, but instead However, or rather unfortunately, all 30 standard bearers in the In her most recent address chose to advance the candidacy of our movement and progess have decisions that you make for to the nation, the Prime Minister men. been devoid of any real resources this party. There seems to be of Barbados, Hon. Mia Motley, stated that “Leadership is a lonely place,” but that “Leadership is Candice Pitts puts a scolding on about Leading.” Honorable Party Leader, PUP party leader, John Briceno you are at the helm of this party. Last week, a letter began What we need more than ever to circulate where PUP aspirant is Leadership–but a leadership for the Mesopotamia Division, that is connected to the people, a Candice Pitts, put a scolding leadership that listens, a leadership on her party leader (see letter that can address concerns above). To say the least, the meaningfully, and a leadership letter is testimony that all is that ensures we progress towards not well within that party. Pitts our just objectives. candidly reflects that the PUP Sincerely, simply does not care about Candice A. Pitts, PhD women in leadership. She notes that there have been at least four opportunities for the PUP The Guardian to have advanced women’s Protecting Freedom Rights Democracy representation but instead, “chose to advance the candidacy Candice Pitts Hon. Johnny Briceño EDITOR: of men.” the only two women within the supported by the PUP. She Alfonso Noble She goes on to lament that PUP leadership are not being (Continued on page 4) ADVERTISING Louis Thompson COMPOSITOR: Kristen Jimenez More COVID-19 cases being imported REPORTER: After around eight weeks at the Ramada Hotel for the MOH reminds the public Jem Smith without reporting a positive case mandatory period of 14-days that it continues its heightened CONTRIBUTORS: of COVID-19 in Belize, the after which a new sample will surveillance across the country and Byron Donaire Ministry of Health had announced be taken and processed. Of the underscores the prompt detection Rene Flowers two new cases in a matter of days. twelve, seven arrived via Belize’s and reporting of illegal crossings. Vanessa Guerrero Not even a week after the two northern border with Mexico and This is the second positive detected RECEPTIONIST/ACCOUNTS CLERK newest cases were announced, the remainder, including three case of COVID-19, which was Vanessa Gillett two more positive cases were American nationals, came through imported due to illegal crossings reported by the MOH, bringing the Philip Goldson International and the MOH advises that reporting Published by The the national total to 22. Airport. these crossings will prove vital in This 21st case was confirmed Case #22 was announced on being able to contain a potential Guardian Newspaper Limited after samples were taken from Tuesday, June 16 after another outbreak of the viral disease. Cor. Ebony St. & Bel China Bridge, persons arriving in country on a forty-five samples for SARS- While the country’s total P. O. Box 1898 Belize City, Belize flight from Texas, USA as a part of CoV2 were taken and processed. number of cases stands at twenty- Telephone: the repatriation exercise. He was This positive case is that of a two, we have so far had seventeen 207-5346, 207-5347 in Houston, Texas and was among male person caught entering recoveries. Sample tests for patient Fax: 227-5343 22 persons who were approved Belize illegally over the weekend #19, the case detected from a E-mail: [email protected] to enter the country on June 12. and who was swabbed as part of repatriated Belizean who was or [email protected] Since then, he has been placed MOH’s established protocol. He onboard a cruise ship, have now in mandatory quarantine and Dr. was found illegally entering in the rendered a second negative result. Website: www.guardian.bz Marvin Manzanero, Director Cayo District in western Belize; He is now considered recovered Printed by The Guardian Press of Health Services, says that he contact tracing for this particular and has been released from Cor. Ebony St. & Bel China Bridge, will remain in strict quarantine case is currently underway. quarantine. P. O. Box 1898 Belize City, Belize Page 3 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, June 21, 2020 Page 4 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, June 21, 2020 Second wave of COVID-19 in What’s driving cost of vegetables? Belize likely to come from Since the onset of COVID- onset of the rains, secondary 19 consumers have noticed a plots have now been planted in border jumpers spike in the cost of vegetables higher grounds and are a week For more than fifty days, in the number of positive cases at their local markets. The first or two away from maturity. we had gone without reporting brought into the country by the impression was that because That has driven up the prices any positive cases of SARS- repatriated Belizeans. The MOH there was limited movement of of produce such as tomatoes, CoV2, better known as the novel has worked tirelessly with the people and a drought the cost which sell at anywhere between coronavirus or COVID-19, in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would have gone up. But since $75 and $100 per bucket at the Belize. At that time, the number other pertinent bodies to establish then, movement restrictions farm. That is then translated to stood at eighteen but since rigid protocols and mechanisms have begun to normalize and the retailer who then sells at then, we have had four more to decrease the possibility. the rains have begun and still $5.00 per pound. positive cases, with two being It is a concern, however, vegetables remain at an all-time Potatoes, which at this time detected in Belizeans returning that persons illegally crossing high. of the year is being imported, to the country as part of various the borders will in fact cause that Based on our visits at the are also selling at twice what repatriation exercises. The other possibility. Cases 20 and 22 are market, we found tomatoes at it would normally fetch. The two cases, cases 20 and 22, were imported cases which were only $5.00 a pound, sweet peppers reason for this is that those who reported in persons illegally detected as part of MOH’s new at $4.00 per pound, cabbage purchase are doing so from crossing our western border with protocol to test anyone found at $2.00 per pound, cilantro at Mexico and with the advent Guatemala.

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