Tonight, a former senior officer of the Belize Defense Force is asking a pointed question: if millions of dollars are being spent on supplies for the Ministry of National Defense, why aren’t soldiers on the ground seeing the full benefit? Retired Major Lloyd Jones, who left the BDF years ago as a high-ranking officer, says he still follows the affairs of the force closely. In a recent Facebook post, Jones expressed deep disappointment over what has unfolded inside the ministry. He says he expected better, especially because Oscar Mira, Florencio Marin, and CEO Dario Tapia all wore the uniform and all received training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. For Jones, that military background should have meant stronger leadership, better accountability, and real improvements for the men and women serving on the front line.
Lloyd Jones
Major Lloyd Jones, Former Member of The Belize Defense Force
“So that is where the frustration came from we had three former military officers. They are all graduates of the royal military academy like myself and I know at Sandhurst, even though we are very young officers, we learn very early, the important role you play when you assume leadership of troops. And that is their priority, their safety, their wellbeing must remain central focus if you expect them to follow you to battle. So that is where my frustration came from. The issue is that because of what we are seeing now, it tells me that not much concern were placed on the troops. It is the ministry’s role to provide the wherewithal for the defense force. And in this case what we are seeing is some equipment and how those were procured and ration, what we call the food supply. And if you speak with soldiers they will tell you that what they are seeing on the news in terms of the quantum, the millions they spent, that is not being translated on their plates. So somewhere along the line we are losing value. Occasionally you would see someone leak a photo, but it is most unfair to the soldier that he is assigned a particular quota and because of the system, by the time it reaches him, it does not reflect what the claim is had been spent on the supply.”
Did Defense Leaders Marin, Mira, & Tapia Protect Their Integrity?
For retired Major Lloyd Jones, the issue goes beyond invoices, contracts, and supplies. It goes to the core of what every Belize Defense Force officer is taught to protect: integrity. Jones says that, through the eyes of a soldier, a leader’s integrity should never be open to question. And in his view, that standard should be even higher for former B.D.F. officers who later move into political leadership. He argues that Oscar Mira, Florencio Marin, and C.E.O. Dario Tapia, all highly trained former officers, should have done everything possible to avoid even the appearance of compromised integrity.
Lloyd Jones
Major Lloyd Jones, Former Member of the Belize Defense Force
“As a military officer one of the principal value you have to hold central is integrity. Your integrity must be unquestioned, because soldiers see things. You as an officer, I was an officer, I learnt a lot of things that were going wrong from soldiers, because they are the ones who do the guard duty. They mine the gate at night when everyone is sleeping. They are doing the patrols. They know who is going to the ration stores. They also go to pick up the rations, so they know you order ten sacks and they only pick up five. The soldiers knows these things and if they see this kind of behavior, this lack of integrity, they lose their respect for you as an officer. So integrity is central. We lead by example. I recall one day, I was a young officer, and General Garcia, we were having a conversation about leadership and what it means, and he said, I will teach you a lesson. Every solider pass you by he called them. He said, who is this officer, Major Jones sir”. Next one, Jones sir, then he would ask me what is the name of that soldier. And I would not know some of their names because I did not command them, but every single one knew who I was. And that is what he said, when you are in leadership position, they see you and what you do is important. And that is the essence of this. We see Florencio Marin. We see Oscar Mira. We saw General Tapia. And that is what is creating the problem and challenge for me. I am having difficulty not seeing what I am seeing.”
Jones’ PUP Loyalty Tested by Defense Controversy
Jones is not speaking as a political outsider. He is a member of the People’s United Party and once carried the party’s banner as a candidate in Belize Rural North. So where does that leave him today, as he publicly criticizes former and current P.U.P. figures tied to the Ministry of National Defense? Jones says party loyalty does not erase his concerns about leadership, accountability, and the image of the Belize Defense Force. And when asked whether Oscar Mira and Florencio Marin Jr. should ever return to the Ministry of National Defense, he did not hold back.
Lloyd Jones
Major Lloyd Jones, Former Member of the Belize Defense Force
“The problem seems to be the degree of tolerance the Belizean people seem to have for this kind of behavior, because at the end of the day, if the people continue to tolerate this kind of behavior, it will continue to happen. And if it goes unchecked, you begin to attract people who are less than honorable to Belmopan.”
Reporter
“Do you think these men are still fit to serve in their roles at the Ministry of Defense?”
Major Lloyd Jones
“I don’t think so. I don’t think they can recover from this. The troops would have lost any and every confidence they had in them and I think it would be a disservice to the BDF, the men and women who toil day in and day out. They miss holidays, Christmas, new years, christening, they are along that border defending what we call ours, 8867 and if they were to return to the Ministry of Defense. I am telling you the soldiers would be absolutely disappointed. I will throw this in, you never asked, but right now based on what I am hearing, the police is extremely happy and excited with Julius and that is important, if you expect people to follow, leadership must inspire them.”
Jones says he will remain a cardholding member of the People’s United Party. He also commended Prime Minister John Briceno for taking swift action on this matter.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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