PM Briceño, “No Secret Agreement Signed to Get $125 Million U.S Grant”

In July, the opposition cautioned the Briceño administration concerning the one hundred and twenty-five-million-U.S.-dollar grant. Patrick Faber questioned the U.S organization’s true intent. Well, today, we asked Alice Albright, the Chief Executive Officer at MCC. For reference, we revisit that clip from Faber inside the House of Representatives.

 

Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet

“Let’s go down that road for a minute and please nobody doesn’t go misquote me or say anything contrary. I am not anti-united states, but whenever you see the U.S doing something it is a part of a larger plan. And so everything that the United States does is geared towards an agenda for the United States.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What does the U.S get from this, in terms of returns? What is expected of Belize. There were certain suggestions that the population would be bugled down to be forced to sign on to certain treaties, certain conventions, forced to support the U.S. in certain internation issues as a result to the size of this grant. How do you respond to the question of what is expected of Belize moving forward?”

 

Alice Albright, C.E.O, MCC

“Let me answer it on two levels. We have an eligibility framework at MCC that guides us in the decisions of which countries we choose to work with. Leading up to December 2021, Belize was considered eligible to work with MCC and our board of directors decided to work with MCC on that basis. So that weas the origin of the decision. WE have signed an agreement, and it includes a number of details about the nature of the work we will be in parentship with GOB on. Part of it is education, part of it is on energy and there are mutual expectations of both partners, but they are really surrounding the project that is at hand.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“There is no hidden agenda with this agreement. It is open, transparent and we have not signed any secret agreement to get this compact. It is just that we have qualified for it.”