Senate Extends State of Public Emergency in Belize City and Cayo District  

The Senate passed a resolution today to extend the state of emergency in specified areas of Belize City and the Cayo District for an additional two months. This extension follows the initial proclamation by the Governor-General on June twenty-fourth, 2024. Recognising the necessity and urgency of maintaining the state of emergency, the Senate resolved to extend the proclamation for a further two months. This extension aims to continue addressing the conditions that warranted the initial declaration. However, the extension did not receive the full support of the Senate. Opposition Senator Michael Peyrefitte expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of the state of emergency, arguing that it would not make any difference if the security forces were demoralized. Church Senator Bishop Moses Benguche called for a comprehensive strategic plan to fight crime, and Government Business Senator Eamon Courtenay defended the state of emergency, stating that it has allowed residents in the targeted areas to enjoy greater safety and freedom.

 

Michael Peyrefitte, Lead Opposition Senator

“No amount of state of emergency will make any difference, and we could extend it for 10 years.  It will not make any difference if the security forces are demoralized.  You could have a million state of emergency.  What you have is a minister of police who is not made for that job.  What you have is a minister of home affairs who the gang elements, quite frankly, are, do not possess a healthy fear for. They don’t respect him.  So as long as you have that person as the face of your home affairs and face of the police department, they will continue to laugh at the administration.  The Prime Minister needs to appoint a proper minister of home affairs to take care of business and to let the criminal elements know that we are not playing any games with them.”

 

 

Kevin Herrera, Senator for Private Sector

“I also think that there is a larger issue. That larger issue that government has is to protect the law abiding citizens as priority in this country. And so I imagine that is where we’re going with this motion to request to further extend the time by two months.  The culture that these gangs have created Madam President, is one of intimidation and violence.  And it has lived significant physical impact on this country, but not only physical.  There is also a tremendous psychological effect. People live in fear.”

 

 

 

Bishop Moses Benguche, Senator for Churches

“I want to make a suggestion.  That one of the things that must be done in this, in this day and age is to be able to come to come up with a strategic plan  in fighting crime.  And when I say that, it must not only be  the state of emergency, because Madam President,  one of the things affecting Belize today,  especially in the two areas mentioned, that is the reason I made sure that I mentioned them,  both the in Cayo area and that strategic part of the Cayo area and in those strategic places in Belize City  is that it is and we will find out  that a lot of what is happening in insofar as crime is concerned in those areas, Madam President have to do with turf war insofar as drugs is concerned.”

 

Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Gov’t Business

“It is because of the state of emergency in specific targeted area part of Belize and a part of the Cayo District that the good people in those areas are now able to walk freely and enjoy the amenities of life because the guns in those areas have been taken off the street and are incarcerated. In response to Senator Herrera, yes. This was intelligence driven. It was targeted surgical to disrupt a turf war that was taking place.  The reduction in crime in those areas is proof that the intelligence was right. And the measure was appropriate.”