Friday, June 11, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 1 NO. 3467 BELIZE CITY, FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021 (44 PAGES) $1.50 Crique Sarco land dispute goes to Cabinet BELMOPAN, Wed. June 9, 2021 While being questioned by local media, acting Prime Bondholders agree Minister, and Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. to extension Cordel Hyde, mentioned that Cabinet will be discussing the issues surrounding the implementation of communal land rights for the Maya. This is in the wake of the Forestry Department’s issuance of a cease and desist order to a logging operation on the outskirts of Crique Sarco BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 9, 2021 the country’s most recent bond village. Yesterday, reports surfaced that the payment that became due in May, Some residents of the creditor committee for the holders of 2021. The bondholders had initially village are claiming that Belize’s Superbond had given a stonewalled the government’s Crique Sarco’s alcalde failed favorable response to the government proposal — citing what they to carry out the Free, Prior of Belize’s amended Consent described as an earlier rejection by and Informed Consent Solicitation, through which GoB (FPIC) process properly before Please turn toPage 39 sought to extend the grace period for Please turn toPage 39 Hartin free on $30,000 bail BNTU files challenge Nurses’ Assn. calls (See story on page 37) to salary cuts out Chebat BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June 10, 2021 Today, the Nurses’ Association of Belize issued a statement in which it called the comments made by Health Minister, Hon. Michel Chebat, regarding the shortage of nurses within the country, “disrespectful.” Please turn toPage 39 BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June 10, 2021 MoE ends school Reports are that the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) has filed a year early motion challenging the salary cuts which were implemented on June 1. The BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June 10, 2021 BNTU’s national president, Elena After making an abrupt Smith, had indicated when the union announcement that there would be a decided to end its strike that they phased return to classroom learning would be seeking other avenues — a little over two months ago, the including the legal route — to oppose Ministry of Education has indicated PM departs to attend the salary cuts if the Please turn toPage 38 Please turn toPage 38 regional events (See story on (See story on page 3) Salary cuts take effect page 4) Page 2 AMANDALABelize Friday, June 11, 2021 SSB inaugurates the David L. McKoy Building by Kory Leslie (freelance writer) BELMOPAN, Wed. June 9, 2021 The Social Security Board inaugurated a new business complex on their compound in Belmopan. The David L. McKoy Business Center is a state-of-the-art business complex that has been named after a former PUP Minister who pioneered the Social Security scheme in Belize. The building will now house the SSB offices in Belmopan and also the new Office of the Prime Minister, which has been located at the Sir Edney Cain Building for the past decade. The David L. McKoy Business the top of the building, and I said He also said that the SSB will Board is doing just that. With its new Center is four stories tall, and within ‘Wow that’s a beautiful building. receive an immediate return on this building, we are fulfilling its the center are commercial office That’s something that we will always investment, as the building will house mission to have a financially stable spaces that will be offered for rent remember Belmopan for.’ It boasts a number of Government offices, program to provide a lifetime of to various businesses in order to 45,500 rentable square feet, is fully NGOs and BPOs which presently coverage to many thousands of generate a return on the $8.2-million- equipped with business amenities and employ thousands of Belizeans. Belizeans ensured through the dollar investment. The director of the was constructed at a total of $8.2 In her remarks, SSB’s board scheme,” she said. SSB board, Wendy Castillo, and the million of the Social Security director, Wendy Castillo mentioned Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Investment Chairman of the SSB, Investment Fund. Based on our the vision of the late Hon. George Cordel Hyde also spoke at the Reynaldo Magaña, both took the estimates, we will recover the Cadle Price for the SSB: “In his ceremony and paid tribute to the late podium at the ribbon-cutting investment in ten years at an eight- address delivered on June fifteenth David L. McKoy, who he said first ceremony to discuss the SSB’s point-two percent rate of return. This 1982, on the occasion of the first had the vision for a social security excitement in unveiling their new is a solid investment, in the annual report of the Social Security scheme fifty-two years ago. Hyde project. investment portfolio that will Fund, the Right Honorable George remarked that Minister McKoy “Today we inaugurate the David generate the necessary returns to keep Cadle Price, as Prime Minister of a could have never imagined that L. McKoy Business Center. It’s quite the fund fluid, to service short- term newly independent Belize, said twelve years later “his vision would a marvel of a building, which will and long-term benefits for the people Social Security is but the beginning impact so many Belizeans”. Mr. be iconic for the city of Belmopan. I of Belize for years to come,” Magaña of developing the proper attitudes McKoy’s daughter, Lottie McKoy must say, as I was driving in, I noticed said. of a responsibility for older or Gill, was invited as a special guest injured citizens so that we can to the ceremony. In speaking with the become conscious of the human and media, Mrs. McKoy Gill said that social obligations which we must the family was pleasantly surprised Caribbean teachers’ strive to meet. Today the Investment by the SSB’s decision to name the union writes PM Committee of your Social Security building after her father. the issue,” the letter states. Family in Guatemala CUT is currently engaged with regional and international partners in an recovers stolen vehicle effort to bring attention to the imposed pay cuts. by Dayne Guy the thieves, and were able to regain It remarked in its letter to possession of the vehicle from the the Prime Minister that the BENQUE VIEJO DEL CARMEN, thieves. How they were able to take pay cuts will create added Cayo District, Fri. June 4, 2021 the vehicle away from armed men economic strife, “as a Around 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June remains unclear. Nonetheless, the decrease in salary will have 4, two armed men (one of a dark vehicle was returned to its rightful a multiplier effect on the complexion and the other believed to owners. economy.” be of Hispanic descent) stormed into Many are wondering whether the The release also states that the Pacheco household on Border individuals involved in this robbery the salary cuts are causing an Road in the Cayo District and held the were also involved in the incident that “insurmountable degree of family at gunpoint. They proceeded to claimed the life of BECOL employee distress of teachers at this steal the keys for the family’s vehicle, Wayne Cadle. Police have informed time.” It adds, “Teachers are in which they escaped and headed to the media that the two robberies, one BELIZE, Mon. June 7, 2021 currently under immense Guatemala. The robbers were of which ended in the victim’s death, In a letter dated June 5, the psychological pressure to maintain subsequently confronted, however, by are not believed to be related, and that Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) the classroom and sustain their family relatives of the Pacheco family the police are currently seeking wrote to Prime Minister Hon. John during this pandemic.” residing in Guatemala, who specific persons in connection with the Briceño, urging him to let “good sense The letter from CUT also describes successfully retrieved the automobile. Cadle murder. prevail” and to “withdraw the the salary reduction as The Pacheco family in Cayo The increase in vehicle thefts in the proposal of the 10% salary “unconscionable” and states that it explained to police that the 2 robbers area has raised concerns for the deduction.” will severely impact the lives of ransacked their home and stole a dark residents and the Police Department. The salary cuts had already been teachers and other individuals grey Toyota Hilux that was parked in The department has said that, although legislated and had gone into effect by connected to them. the family’s driveway, and police it has increased measures to apprehend the time the strongly worded letter The Caribbean Union of Teachers concluded, after carrying out an initial the car thieves who enter the country was sent, thus diminishing its consists of 23 member units from investigation, that the robbers had fled from Guatemala and it has made efforts effectiveness. CUT is advising the across the region, the majority of to Guatemala in the stolen vehicle. to block escape routes, the culprits government of Belize to rethink its whom are based in member states of Their suspicion was later confirmed often create new routes to bypass decision to impose the salary CARICOM. They are the umbrella when the Pacheco family’s relatives areas highly monitored by the police. reductions and to devise more organization for teachers unions in the in Guatemala encountered the stolen The police in Belize have since creative ways of addressing the region and are an affiliate of vehicle. increased communications with their economic fallout.