Today’s anti-corruption protest brought out UDP supporters and frustrated Belizeans, but some familiar voices were noticeably missing. Labor unions had little presence on the ground, with only Public Service Union President Dean Flowers and Union Senator Glenfield Dennison seen among the crowd. The Council of Churches and the National Evangelical Association of Belize were also absent, at least from what we observed. Still, their absence did not silence the message from the stage, where Senator Dennison stepped forward to address demonstrators and add his voice to the call for accountability.
Glenfield Dennison, Union Senator
“I see a Belize where somebody like me might make it to be Chief Justice. But unfortunately, that is not the Belize we have right now. Unfortunately, the Belize we have, day after day, the journalists are showing us that corruption is real and hurting every single person you know. You see, when a mom have to decide how she will take a dollar out of fifty cents, it will affect everybody. But, I still have hope. I have hope that we don’t just see this as a lost cause, that we rally around things like corruption, things like the BTL deal and we use it as a turning point in our history. I think if we don’t stand now to show we are not going to tolerate corruption.”
Dean Flowers Takes Aim at Corruption and Weak Oversight
Dean Flowers knew he was speaking to a crowd filled largely with UDP supporters, but he did not hold back. With a five-page speech in hand, the Public Service Union president spent about fifteen minutes taking aim at corruption in government and what he described as the failure of oversight bodies to do their jobs. But Flowers did more than criticize. He also laid out recommendations for stronger governance, tighter checks and balances, and greater accountability in Belize’s public sector.
Dean Flowers
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union
“Oh how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to be gathered in unity. I bring you warm greeting from the Public Service Union of Belize. I think that today is an opportunity for us as a country to light a fire under corruption and to do what we need to do as a people to come together, putting aside whatever our political biases are to try to rescue this country from the cesspool of corruption that it is currently in. I see a lot of mature people out here today and it is not about you or me. It is about the children that we have brought into this country and those who are yet to come that we need to be a part of these kinds of rallies. AS a trade unionist, representing the hard-working men and women that keep this country running, the nurses, the doctors, police officers, clerk, drivers, BDF soldiers, and the countless officers who serve the people of Belize. I bring you these words that I hope will resonate with you. I am here because the system is failing us.”
For about two hours, UDP voices from across the country echoed through Battlefield Park.
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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